Title: Psychological factors influencing the adoption of three-wheeler electric vehicles: a study on users in India

Authors: Navin Mathew; G. Varaprasad

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala, India

Abstract: Emissions from internal combustion engine vehicles are one of the significant contributors to the increased air pollution. Studies indicate that EV is one of the possible practical implications for reducing air pollution. Out of all segments, the three-wheeler is one of the most widely used because of its public transport usage. Even though electric three-wheelers (e-rickshaws) are available in the market, customers refrain from buying them. This study aims to investigate and analyse the psychological factors impacting the adoption of e-rickshaw in Patna, India. The partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyse the data. Awareness of EVs and environmental concerns are found to be the most influential factors affecting the adoption of EVs with the help of importance-performance map analysis (IPMA). The results obtained from this study can be used by government agencies and vehicle manufacturers to make policies for faster adoption of three-wheeler EVs.

Keywords: three-wheeler EV; adoption; PLS-SEM; awareness of EV; environmental concern.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2025.144184

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2025 Vol.50 No.1, pp.53 - 75

Received: 28 Sep 2022
Accepted: 25 Dec 2022
Published online: 31 Jan 2025 *

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