An integrated environmental awareness, UTAUT2 model, and image concern framework for early BEV adopters in Thailand: The moderating effects of individual characteristics

Despite the significant potential of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, their global adoption rate, including in Thailand, is exhibiting a concerning decline. This trend contrasts sharply with the increasing uptake of other electric vehicle variants, signaling a diminishing consumer propensity toward BEVs. This study investigates the psychological factors influencing BEV adoption by examining current owners' usage patterns through an integrated framework of environmental awareness, UTAUT2 model, and image concerns (apprehensions about negative social perceptions of BEV ownership). Data were collected from 846 BEV owners across Thailand's major regions and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with specific moderating effects. The findings reveal that environmental awareness significantly enhances positive perceptions across all UTAUT2 dimensions, with the strongest effects on facilitating conditions (β = 0.837) and perceived performance (β = 0.833). Notably, while perceived performance and effort positively influence BEV adoption, social influence and hedonic motivation unexpectedly.