Are you an energy saver? Investigating consumers’ energy saving intention during vehicle usage by extending the Norm Activation Model

Abstract

Environmental protection has attracted widespread attention due to the pressing environmental challenges facing the world. The transportation sector holds significant potential to mitigate environmental damage, including greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and air pollution. In this context, understanding the key determinants of consumers’ energy saving intention (ESI) during vehicle usage is crucial for developing appropriate energy policies. However, this topic remains underexplored in existing literature. To address this gap, this research aims to examine how three factors from the Norm Activation Model (NAM)—awareness of consequences (AC), ascription of responsibility (AR), and subjective norms (SN)—along with consumer perceptions (i.e., perceived responsibility [PR], perceived behavioral control [PBC]) influence the behavioral intentions of Chinese consumers to save energy during vehicle usage. This research employs structural equation modeling to analyze 503 valid responses obtained via an online questionnaire survey conducted on Credamo. Results indicate that the three NAM factors affect ESI positively through indirect pathways, while PR and PBC directly exert positive effects on ESI. Specifically, AC positively influences AR, which then enhances SN; but AC does not directly impact SN. Furthermore, AR strengthens PR, thereby increasing consumers’ intention to save energy. In parallel, SN positively affects PBC, which further promotes ESI, though SN’s direct effect on ESI is non-significant. These findings offer novel insights into the pro-environmental behavioral intentions of consumers in the transportation sector and provide important implications for stakeholders, particularly from the perspective of individual vehicle users.