Investigating Factors that affect Attitude on Electric Vehicles for Global Climate Change and Environmental Policy

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how consumers perceive electric vehicles and factors that affect attitude, satisfaction, and intention to use electric vehicles and to explore policy issues regarding climate change and global environment. By classifying actual and potential users, this study developed the following research questions: i) factors including economic feasibility, sociality, environmental sustainability, inefficiency, inconvenience, convenience, and uncertainty affect attitude to electric vehicles; ii) attitude to electric vehicles affects actual consumers’ satisfaction; and iii) attitude to electric vehicles affects potential users’ intention to use. Research design, data and methodology: This study conducted an online survey and applied factor and regression analyses and ANOVA to test hypotheses. Results: The results of this study found that economic feasibility and convenience factors significantly affect attitude in both cases of actual and potential users. How actual users perceive efficiency of electric vehicles negatively and uncertain issues such as battery technology affect attitude to electric vehicles. Conclusions: This study provides policy implications that foster promotional policies for the adoption of electric vehicles for environment and regulate negative aspects. This study also provides managerial implications for manufacturers to develop better technology competences to enhance reliability on electric vehicles.