Customer satisfaction leading the intention to adopt battery electric vehicles with the moderating role of government support and status symbol

Abstract

In response to the ongoing efforts to reduce pollution, the Chinese government is encouraging the use of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). People in China as a whole intend to supplement the government's initiative. Thus, this study aims to determine adoption intention for BEVs through environmental concerns, technophilia, social norms, price and battery cost, self-esteem, range confidence, satisfaction toward adopting BEV, financial incentives, non-financial policies, and status symbol by using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). PLS-SEM was followed, and data was collected through questionnaires using purposive sampling. A total of 508 questionnaires were used in the final analysis. Multiple regression was used for hypotheses testing. Environmental concerns, technophilia, social norms, self-esteem, and range confidence significantly enhance satisfaction toward adopting BEVs. Meanwhile, price and battery cost significantly decrease customer satisfaction towards adopting BEVs. Satisfaction towards adopting BEVs, government support (i.e., financial incentives, non-financial policies), and status symbols are leading to the intention to adopt BEVs. Government support is significantly moderate, but the status symbol does not moderate between satisfaction towards adopting BEVs and adoption intention for BEVs. This research suggests that policymakers and manufacturers focus on studying factors determining the intention to adopt BEVs. This initial research integrates environmental concerns, technophilia, social norms, price and battery cost, self-esteem, range confidence, satisfaction towards adopting BEVs, financial incentives, non-financial policies, status symbol, and adoption intention for BEVs in a single framework in light of TPB.