Who switches to gas? : a study of a fuel conversion program in Colombia
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Date
2008
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Publisher
Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Economics Program (LACEEP), Turrialba, CR
Abstract
Air pollution from mobile sources is an important environmental problem in larger cities in
Colombia, as well as in other Latin-American countries. In 2001, a program was implemented
to encourage the use of natural gas in vehicles in the Aburrá Valley in Colombia, with incentives
to convert small cars from gasoline and diesel to hybrid engines with natural gas, most notably
a cash subsidy. Using a survey administered to both commercial and private car owners we
study the determinants of conversion under this fuel conversion program. We thus obtain
information about the reasons for adoption of new technologies in vehicles. This allows us
to discuss the possible outcomes of this type of policy. Results show that a large part of
owners who switched would have done it anyway without the subsidy. Based on the findings,
commercial vehicles are most likely to be converted to natural gas vehicles (NGV).
Description
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Working Paper
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Keywords
NATURAL GAS, VEHICLES, AUTOMOBILES, FUEL CONVERSION, SWITCH, SUBSIDIES, COLOMBIA