Factors influencing car owners’ intentions of using shared cars: An extension of the theory of planned behavior in China

Abstract

As traffic congestion and environmental pollution escalate with rising private car ownership, shared mobility, particularly car-sharing, emerges as a sustainable alternative. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study extends the framework by integrating six novel predictors: perceived usefulness, perceived cost, novel experience, perceived risk, driving habit, and perceived environmental value. Through a nationwide survey administered via SoJump, 399 valid responses (95.2% validity rate) were analyzed. Results demonstrate that perceived usefulness and perceived cost significantly enhance both behavioral attitudes and intention to use, while novel experience strengthens attitudes and perceived behavioral control. Conversely, perceived risk and driving habits significantly intention to use. Notably, perceived environmental value showed no significant effect. These findings offer actionable insights: policymakers should prioritize cost subsidies and risk mitigation, while operators should leverage novelty-driven design to accelerate shared mobility adoption.