Effect of Informational Interventions on EV Adoption Intention: Evidence from a Tier II City in India

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that informational interventions focusing on range and social norms significantly influence electric vehicle adoption intentions, highlighting the importance of addressing behavioral barriers beyond financial incentives.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence that non-financial informational interventions can effectively promote EV adoption, complementing traditional demand-side policies.

Findings

Range-based and norm-based interventions significantly increased adoption intentions.

Cost-based intervention was not significantly effective.

Informational strategies addressing behavioral barriers are crucial for sustainable mobility adoption.

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of targeted informational interventions on electric vehicle adoption intention. A randomised controlled field experiment with three treatment groups and a control group was used to study the effectiveness of three informational interventions. Participants in each treatment group received a distinct informational intervention: cost-based, range-based, and norm-based. Two of the three interventions (range-based and norm-based), designed to reduce behavioural and psychological barriers, were found to be significant. The cost-based intervention was not significant, suggesting that financial motives alone may not be sufficient to lead to an increase in the adoption of electric vehicles. The significant effect observed for the range-based and norm-based interventions suggests that the discomfort related to the technology must be addressed, and social norms can be effectively utilised to promote electric vehicles at low cost. Although adoption is not guaranteed with self-reported intentions, the findings suggest that carefully framed informational interventions guide behavioural intentions towards sustainable technologies. The most significant contribution of the study is to the literature on demand-side policy instruments, which suggests that financial incentives can be complemented by other informational interventions to accelerate the adoption of sustainable mobility.