Understanding the adoption of electric motorcycles among road users in Vietnam

Abstract

Motorcycles with internal combustion engines using fossil fuels account for the majority of traffic flow in major Asian cities. The increase in the number of conventional motorcycles using a gas engine is one of the main causes leading to air and noise pollution in comparison with other lower-emitting transport modes (e.g., walking, cycling, and public transport). Thus, many Asian countries have promoted the adoption of electric motorcycles to significantly reduce air pollution and non-renewable energy consumption as a solution for motorcycles using internal combustion engines. However, the application of electric motorcycles still faces many limitations and challenges. This study explores factors influencing the adoption of electric motorcycles in Vietnam based on the extention of TAM model. Based on 751 valid responses in Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang cities, Vietnam, a structural equation model (SEM) with first-order and second-order latent variables is proposed to analyse the collected data. The results indicate that perceived of usefulness is the most significant positive effect on the adoption of electric motorcycles. In contrast, perceived risk is found to be a barrier of the adoption intention. In addition, the results of multigroup analysis show that age moderates the correlation between prceived easy to use and the adoption intention. Similarly, the correlation between perceived risk and the adoption of electric motorcycles is influenced by the difference in monthly income. Several policies and governance implications are also discussed in this study.