Sustainable mobility in developing country: drivers of consumers’ purchase intentions for electric vehicles

Abstract

Environmental challenges associated with climate change and pollution have intensified worldwide, and the transportation sector is widely recognized as one of the key sources of these problems. Consequently, electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly viewed as an important alternative for mitigating environmental impacts and promoting sustainable mobility. This study integrates the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework with insights from the Technology Acceptance Model and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to examine factors associated with attitude and trust, and their subsequent relationships with purchase intention toward EVs among prospective urban adopters in Vietnam. The proposed model classifies influencing factors into three categories: benefit-related (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived value), personal (environmental concern, personal norms, personal innovativeness), and situational (social influence, vehicle performance, facilitating conditions). Data from 438 respondents were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The results reveal that all factors significantly influence attitude and trust, which significantly predict purchase intention. Mediation analysis further indicates that attitude significantly mediates the effects of perceived usefulness, environmental concern, social influence, and vehicle performance on purchase intention, whereas no significant indirect effects are transmitted through trust. Notably, social influence was the strongest predictor of consumer attitude, while personal innovativeness showed a strong positive effect on consumer trust. These findings highlight differentiated psychological pathways through which functional, personal, and situational factors contribute to EV purchase intention and provide practical implications for strengthening social acceptance, communicating consumer value, reducing uncertainty, and developing supportive infrastructure.