Analysing the factors affecting electric vehicle adoption using the extended theory of planned behaviour framework

TL;DR

This study extends the Theory of Planned Behaviour to include optimism, innovativeness, and range anxiety, analyzing their influence on electric vehicle adoption in Lucknow, India, with implications for targeted policy and marketing strategies.

Contribution

It introduces an expanded TPB framework incorporating new constructs and empirically tests their effects on EV adoption in an Indian urban context.

Findings

Range anxiety negatively affects adoption intention.

Innovativeness influences adoption through mediation pathways.

Most factors, except optimism, significantly impact EV adoption.

Abstract

This study uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework and expands it by including Optimism, Innovativeness and Range Anxiety constructs. In this study, conducted in Lucknow, the capital of India's most populous province (Uttar Pradesh), a multi stage random sampling design was employed to select 432 respondents from different city areas. The survey instruments were adapted from similar studies and suitably modified to suit the context. Using exploratory factor analysis, 18 measurement items converged into six factors, namely attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, optimism, innovativeness and range anxiety. We confirmed the reliability and validity of the constructs using Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted and discriminant validity analysis. We explored the relationship between them using structural equation modelling. All factors but Optimism were found to be significantly associated with adoption intention. We further employed mediation analysis to examine the mediation pathways. The TPB components mediated the effect of innovativeness but not range anxiety. The study's insights can help policymakers and marketers design targeted interventions that address consumer concerns, reshape consumer perceptions, and foster greater EV adoption. The interventions can target increasing the mediating variables or decreasing range anxiety to facilitate a smoother transition to sustainable transportation.