College students’ potential purchase intention of electric two-wheeled vehicles

Abstract

Due to the rise of renewable energy/green energy issues in recent years, many countries have agreed to adopt the forms of environmental protection, cleanliness, and no impact on the environment for the sources and composition of energy. They have also drawn up relevant international agreements (i.e., Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement) to strictly limit and manage CO2 emissions. The newly advocated electric vehicles have gradually been regarded as a method to improve the environment by all countries. Through the introduction of new electric transport modes, the innovation and reform of the energy structure are promoted, and traditional transportation has also changed. In recent years, Taiwan has promoted the policy of replacing traditional fuel two-wheeled vehicles with electric two-wheeled vehicles (ETWVs), and gradually increased the number of ETWVs in Taiwan by replacing old fuel vehicles and subsidizing the purchase of ETWVs. This study is aimed at college students to explore the important factors that affect their willingness to buy ETWVs. As college students are the first group to buy ETWVs, if their willingness to buy ETWVs can be increased, environmental sustainability may be enhanced. Through a questionnaire designed to investigate the two-wheeled vehicle use preferences of college students in Taiwan, this paper explores the significant factors affecting college students’ purchase of ETWVs. This study applies Logistic Regression and Ordered Logit models, and the results of model estimation show that household income, gender, environmental awareness, recognition of ETWVs, the fuel costs of existing vehicles, number of people in each household, operational efficiency of ETWVs, and subsidy and incentive measures will all positively affect the purchase intention of college students.