The dynamics of electric vehicle acceptance in corporate fleets: Evidence from Germany

Abstract

Electric vehicles as part of corporate fleets play a key role in reducing CO2 emissions. However, business practice has shown that employees often refrain from using these newly procured fleet vehicles. The aim of this paper is therefore to explain the drivers and barriers of acceptance of electric vehicles on the employee's level. Based on a Grounded Theory approach, the authors extracted five main determinants from interviews with 16 experts. They were cross-checked with the literature including technology acceptance literature and electric vehicle research. To understand the dynamics of acceptance, panel data was collected in a longitudinal study with three waves in Germany. The panel data was analyzed using partial least squares (PLS) path modelling. Results show that employees' environmental concern as an attitudinal factor is the only short-term determinant triggering the first electric vehicle usage. Later, the influence of environmental concern disappears, while the impact of product-related determinants, such as enjoyment, ease of use, perceived risks, and relative advantage increases. Furthermore, a mediating effect of enjoyment emerges between ease of use on the intention to use an electric vehicle. Several important implications for decision-makers in management and policy are deduced to support short- and long-term usage of electric vehicles in corporate fleets.