Self-image motives for electric vehicle adoption: Evidence from China

Many consumers adopt electric vehicles (EVs) not only for mobility but also to define and express their self-images through the symbolic meaning of EVs. Through two studies with 3455 online reviews, 788 market reports, and 745 respondents, the authors identify three self-image motives (i.e., pro-environmental, innovative, and normative motives) related to the symbolic meanings of EVs and explore their impacts on consumers’ EV adoption decisions. In particular, the authors find that pro-environmental motives are the most frequently claimed self-image motives by consumers. However, compared with the mere existence of pro-environmental motives, the coexistence of all three self-image motives better explains consumers’ EV adoption decisions. The authors findings provide a new grounding for the existing EV literature by exploring the combined effects of multiple self-image motives on consumers’ EV adoption decisions and revealing the intention-behavior gap caused by pro-environmental motives. The authors study also provides managerial insights for EV firms.

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  • English

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  • Accession Number: 01870069
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jan 19 2023 11:23AM