Factors Affecting Consumers' Purchase Intention of Electric Vehicles in Bangkok and the Metropolitan Area

Abstract

The present study examined factors affecting consumers’ intention to purchase electric vehicles (EVs). Participants were individuals who lived in Bangkok and the metropolitan area and were either buying or planning to buy new cars within a few years. Convenience sampling was employed, and to ensure a diverse pool of participants, the researchers also used voluntary response sampling by distributing an online questionnaire across various social networks. A total of 408 participants completed the online questionnaire. This study employed descriptive statistics and applied multiple regression analysis and one-way ANOVA to test the hypotheses. The results showed that most participants were single females, aged 36 - 45, and held bachelor’s degrees. They worked in the private sector, with incomes ranging from 40,001 - 60,000 Baht per month. The results from the hypothesis testing indicated that social influence had the greatest effect on EV purchase intention (β = 0.546, p = .000), followed by effort expectation (β = 0.211, p = .000), performance factors (β = 0.106, p = .005), price value (β = 0.099, p = .019), and facilitating conditions (β = -0.083, p = .020), respectively. No significant effect of environmental concerns or perceived physical risks on purchase intention was found. All factors explained 54.10 percent of consumers’ intentions to purchase EVs. The findings also revealed that participants’ income levels were related to both social influence and EV purchase intention. Generally, as income levels increased, both the importance of social influence and EV purchase intention increased. Male participants also reported that operating an EV required less effort than it did for female participants.