Risky roads: Unraveling used electronic vehicle resistance from the Perspective of social amplification of risk theory

IF 4.4 2区工程技术 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, APPLIED

Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour Pub Date : 2025-07-21 DOI:10.1016/j.trf.2025.07.012

Zhenya Tang , Xueyan Dong , Yuxin Tian , Jianliang Hao , Merrill Warkentin

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Abstract

This study investigates the factors contributing to consumer resistance toward used electric vehicles (EVs) through the lens of social amplification of risk theory. Despite the rapid growth in new EV sales, adoption of used EVs remains limited, largely due to consumer concerns around various perceived risks. Using an online survey to collect data from 409 potential used EV buyers in China, we examine how different risk dimensions, such as image risk, technological obsolescence risk, financial risk (low resale value), and performance risk, influence consumers’ resistance to used EVs. Additionally, we explore EV knowledge and negative word-of-mouth as antecedents to perceived risk, aligning with social amplification of risk theory to understand how these factors intensify risk perceptions. We used structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The results supported 11 out of 12 hypotheses, confirming that higher EV knowledge and exposure to negative word-of-mouth amplify perceived risks, which in turn significantly increase resistance to used EV adoption. This study offers theoretical and practical implications for addressing consumer hesitance and fostering greater acceptance within the used EV market.

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危险道路：从风险理论的社会放大视角解读二手电子车辆的阻力

本研究以风险的社会放大理论为视角，探讨消费者对二手电动汽车产生抵触的因素。尽管新电动汽车销量增长迅速，但二手电动汽车的采用率仍然有限，这主要是由于消费者对各种感知风险的担忧。通过对中国409名潜在二手电动汽车购买者的在线调查，我们研究了不同的风险维度，如形象风险、技术过时风险、财务风险（低转售价值）和性能风险，如何影响消费者对二手电动汽车的抵制。此外，我们探讨了电动汽车知识和负面口碑作为感知风险的前因，并结合风险的社会放大理论来理解这些因素是如何强化风险感知的。我们使用结构方程模型对数据进行分析。结果支持了12个假设中的11个，证实了更高的电动汽车知识和接触负面口碑会放大感知风险，进而显著增加对二手电动汽车采用的抵制。这项研究为解决消费者的犹豫和促进二手电动汽车市场的接受提供了理论和实践意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour Multiple-

CiteScore

7.60

自引率

14.60%

发文量

239

审稿时长

71 days

期刊介绍： Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour focuses on the behavioural and psychological aspects of traffic and transport. The aim of the journal is to enhance theory development, improve the quality of empirical studies and to stimulate the application of research findings in practice. TRF provides a focus and a means of communication for the considerable amount of research activities that are now being carried out in this field. The journal provides a forum for transportation researchers, psychologists, ergonomists, engineers and policy-makers with an interest in traffic and transport psychology.