The impact of service and government-policy attributes on consumer preferences for electric vehicles in China

•Consumer preferences for EVs are examined using stated choice experiment in China.•Critical service factors and policies are identified, alongside product attributes.•Chinese consumers have the highest WTP around 106,144 RMB for a free license for EVs.•Chinese consumers also have the high WTP around 91,039 RMB for a home charging post.•Perceived inconvenience is crucial when consumers are considering switching to EVs.