Abstract
To cope with climate change, the transport sector, as the main sector of current carbon emissions, bears a major responsibility for transforming energy use. Both developed and developing countries have gradually shifted the energy consumption of automobiles to reduce carbon emissions, save energy, and reduce environmental pollution from the functions of quick movement, expanding people's living radius, and giving individuals free space. Electric vehicles (EVs) are recognised as one of the promising measures to achieve sustainable transport goals. As a new technology with electricity as the main power source, EVs are transitioning from policy-driven to market-driven in China, one of the largest carbon-emitting economies. However, the lack of experience and knowledge with EVs and the concept that ""EVs are just an alternative technology"" are the main reasons for the lack of focus on electric vehicles in behaviour research.
Thus, this research establishes an integrated model of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and value-belief-norm theory (VBN), incorporating past behaviour variables. The integrated model fills the weaknesses of the two theories and enhances its explanatory power to explore the influence of past experiences on EV purchase intention. This research obtains 1000 valid examples in China and selects users who have driven electric vehicles as target participants. Using the Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique and Smart PLS software to analyse the survey data of participants' stated preferences in different cities in China, it is found that past experience directly or indirectly affects EV purchase intention, attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, and personal norm play a partial mediating effect. Price value and policy play a negative regulating role in psychological variables and EV purchase intention, and socio-demographic attributes are also moderating factors affecting the path of past experience and EV purchase intention.
Finally, the research provides policy and strategy suggestions for the Chinese government and automobile companies to promote the development of EV use. This thesis contributes to methodology by establishing an integrated model to predict behavioural intention; theoretically speaking, it uses the Push-Pull-Mooring framework to combine the analysis results with the actual situation of electric vehicles in China and provides suggestions for the further development of electric vehicles.