| Beschreibung: |
Electric mobility is globally on the rise. 1.1 million electric vehicles (EVs) have been sold worldwide in 2017 (BNEF, 2018), and sales numbers increase from year to year. Today, there are over 3 million EVs on the road worldwide, an expansion of over 50% from 2016 (IEA, 2018). However, EVs still make up only a small fraction of total vehicles sold/registered compared to vehicles with internal combustion engines. In Austria, for instance, the EV share in new passenger vehicle registrations was 2.02% in 2017 (the EV share of total vehicles registered was 0.38%) (BMVIT, 2018). Several studies indicate that EVs may be one of the key levers to meet climate change stabilization goals in the transport sector (IEA, 2016; Creutzig et al., 2015; Lutsey, 2015; UNFCCC, 2015). However, despite their pro-environmental benefits, consumer acceptance of EVs still falls short of expectations. Several studies have already investigated consumer characteristics and preferences related to EV adoption (Li et al., 2017; Liao et al., 2017; Nayum et al., 2016; Plötz et al., 2014; Priessner, Sposato & Hampl, 2018) and have concluded that both, socio-demographic (e.g. gender, education, income, age) and socio-psychological factors (e.g. worldviews, experience) impact purchase intention. However, existing literature primarily focused on adult (potential) adopters and non-adopters and mainly neglected the preferences of an important group of the population: the youths. The young generation, for instance, has been found to be more interested in renewables than fossil fuels and to have a more environmentally friendly attitude than older people (de Pauw & Petegem, 2010; Greenberg, 2009). Related to mobility, studies show that young adults living in the Western industrial countries use more sustainable and alternative forms of mobility (e.g. bike, public transport, car-sharing, etc.) (e.g. ifmo, 2013; Frontier Group/US PIRG Education Fund, 2012). Our study aims at advancing our understanding of early, potential and non-adopters of EVs among youths and young adults with a particular focus on socio-demographic (e.g. age, gender) and socio-psychological characteristics (e.g. social dominance, experience) as predictors of adoption. |