The impact of policy measures on consumer intention to adopt electric vehicles: Evidence from China

Electric Vehicles (EVs) have been recognized as a promising means to reduce carbon emissions from the transport sector. To promote the adoption of EVs, great efforts have been made and a series of policy measures have been introduced. However, the widespread adoption of EVs is likely to be insufficient. This study divides policy measures into three catalogs (i.e., financial incentive policy measures, information provision policy measures and convenience policy measures) and investigates how these policy measures motivate consumers to adopt EVs and how such effects are moderated by consumers' environmental concern. The results of a survey of 324 respondents suggest that three catalogs of policy measures are positively and significantly related to EVs adoption intention, and convenience policy measures are the most important policy measures to promote EVs. In addition, the results indicate that consumers' environmental concern plays a moderating role in the relationships between two catalogs of policy measures (financial incentive policy measures and convenience policy measures) and EVs adoption intention. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.