Exploring the choice of battery electric vehicles in city logistics: A conjoint-based choice analysis

•Operational constraints are the first barriers to BEVs in city logistics.•Environmental friendliness is poorly valued in transporters’ purchase decisions.•Transporters mostly agree that authorities should stimulate BEVs in city logistics.•Developing public charging infrastructure is critical to electrify city logistics.•The most supported type of measures is financial incentives.

Adoption of electric vehicles by transport companies remains limited although major European cities should reach CO2-free city logistics by 2030. This paper explores therefore the vehicle choice behaviour of transport companies through a conjoint-based choice analysis.The results showed that the benefits of battery electric vehicles are less valued than their disadvantages. However, a majority of respondents agrees that authorities should encourage the use of battery electric vehicles. Based on the preferences of transporters, we conclude that the most important measures are to develop a larger charging infrastructure and implement financial incentives through subsidies or tax exemption.