Consumer purchase intention of electric vehicles in China: The roles of perception and personality

He, Xiuhong; Zhan, Wenjie; Hu, Yingying, 2018, in Journal of Cleaner Production

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.260

Location	China
Population	General
Sample size	369
Factor analysis type	confirmatory factor analysis, none rotation
Stepwise regression	no
Removal of insignificant variables	no
Reviewed by	LCM

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been developed rapidly with the strong support of governments in recent years, but the market share of EVs is still small in China and the vast majority of Chinese consumers hesitate to adopt them. Thus, for the successful development of EVs, this paper proposes a personality-perception-intention framework to explore consumers’ EV adoption behavior. The research model is empirically tested with data collected from 369 participants in China. Results indicate that the EV purchase intention can be explained 57.1% variance by consumer perception and personality. Two types of personality, such as personal innovativeness and environmental concern, significantly affect EV purchase intention directly. They are also significantly mediated by two kinds of perceptions (i.e. positive and negative utilities). The findings give a deeper understanding of EV adoption behavior, and provide recommendations for policymakers and manufacturers on promoting EVs. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Factors

Variable	Pattern loading
I think environmental problems are very important (Environmentalism)	0.909
I think environmental problems cannot be ignored (Environmentalism)	0.893
I think we should care about environmental problems (Environmentalism)	0.88

Variable	Pattern loading
Next time I buy a car, I will consider buying an electric car (Other)	0.901
I expect to drive an electric car in the near future (Other)	0.921
I have the intention to drive an electric car in the near future (Other)	0.935

Variable	Pattern loading
Driving an EV reduces the effects of climate change (Environmentalism)	0.81
Driving an EV reduces the carbon footprint (Environmentalism)	0.88
Driving an EV preserves the environment (Environmentalism)	0.866
Driving an EV reduces pollution level (Environmentalism)	0.822
Driving an EV reduces the consumption of natural resources (Environmentalism)	0.764

Variable	Pattern loading
It would cost a lot to use an EV (Price)	0.95
There are financial barriers (e.g. having to pay for charging pile) to my using an EV (Price)	0.96

Variable	Pattern loading
Driving electric vehicles will help me spend less on fuel (Price)	0.833
Driving electric vehicles will give me other government incentives (Price)	0.751
Considering all costs, driving electric vehicles is no more expensive than driving conventional cars (Price)	0.794

Variable	Pattern loading
I am afraid that the cruising range of EV cannot meet my expectation (Convenience)	0.794
I am afraid that electric cars often break (Convenience)	0.903
I am afraid that EVs mean a higher traffic risk for me (Safety)	0.895

Variable	Pattern loading
Compared to a normal car, electric cars is not suitable for my lifestyle (reverse) (Convenience)	0.779
I would feel proud of driving an electric car (Mode-liking)	0.915
The electric car shows who I am (Social norms)	0.899
The electric car enhances my social status (Social norms)	0.88

Variable	Pattern loading
If I heard about a new product, I would look for ways to experiment with it (Lifestyle)	0.91
I like to experiment with new products (Lifestyle)	0.883
Among my peers, I am usually the first to explore new products (Lifestyle)	0.872
In general, I am hesitant to try out new products (reverse) (Lifestyle)	0.822

Source variable	Target variable	Effect	p-value	Effect type
Personal innovativeness	EV purchase intention	0.222	<0.001	direct_effect
Personal innovativeness	Perceived monetary benefit	0.438	<0.001	direct_effect
Personal innovativeness	Perceived risk	-0.21	<0.001	direct_effect
Environmental concern	EV purchase intention	0.085	<0.05	direct_effect
Environmental concern	Perceived environment	0.507	<0.001	direct_effect
Environmental concern	Perceived fee	-0.171	<0.01	direct_effect
Perceived monetary benefit	EV purchase intention	0.128	<0.01	direct_effect
Perceived environment	EV purchase intention	0.048	nan	direct_effect
Perceived symbol	EV purchase intention	0.399	<0.001	direct_effect
Perceived risk	EV purchase intention	-0.08	<0.05	direct_effect
Perceived fee	EV purchase intention	-0.098	<0.05	direct_effect
Age	EV purchase intention	-0.051	nan	direct_effect
Income	EV purchase intention	0.094	<0.05	direct_effect
Education	EV purchase intention	-0.06	nan	direct_effect