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How does experience impact the adoption willingness of battery electric vehicles? The role of psychological factors

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Abstract

Battery electric vehicles (BEV) have become the most effective and environmentally friendly means to replace internal combustion vehicles. However, given the fact that BEV are a relatively new product category, and the majority of car users have little experience of using BEV, consumers often have a misconception about BEV, and thus tend to avoid purchasing an electric vehicle. This paper aims to explore the role of customer experience and demonstrate how this experience affects the adoption willingness of BEV. Based on driving experience and the theory of planned behavior, the authors constructed a framework of influencing factors for electric vehicle adoption willingness with the incorporation of consumer experience as the antecedents of adoption willingness. Using sample data from Jiangsu province, China, our empirical analysis shows that the mean values of the subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, attitudes, and adoption willingness of experienced consumers are significantly higher than those of inexperienced consumers. Further, the adoption willingness is positively influenced by experience through direct and indirect paths, which confirms the significant mediating effects of subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes (battery life, cruising range, low noise, and low emission).

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Acknowledgments

The authors want to show their sincere gratitude for the respected editors and the anonymous referees for their help in the current study.

Funding

This study received financial supports from the Double First-Class Initiative Project of China University of Mining and Technology (2018WHCC05), the Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (71974190), and the Project of Social Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (19GLA005).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Rong Liu, Zhihua Ding, Xin Jiang, Jing Sun, Yanling Jiang & Wei Qiang

  2. Center for big data marketing and green innovation research, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Zhihua Ding

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  1. Rong Liu
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  2. Zhihua Ding
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  3. Xin Jiang
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Correspondence to Zhihua Ding.

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Highlights

• The attitudes and adoption willingness of Chinese consumers for electric vehicles were investigated.

• The differences between experienced and inexperienced consumers in the subjective norm, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and adoption willingness of electric vehicles were compared.

• Subjective norm, perceptual behavior control, and attitudes (battery life, cruising range, low noise, and low emission) mediate the relationship between experience and adoption willingness of electric vehicle positively.

• Charging infrastructures and battery technology of electric vehicles are the critical factors limiting the promotion of electric vehicles.

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Liu, R., Ding, Z., Jiang, X. et al. How does experience impact the adoption willingness of battery electric vehicles? The role of psychological factors. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 25230–25247 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08834-w

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