Why do consumers choose to buy electric vehicles? A paired data analysis of purchase intention configurations

Abstract Understanding the driving factors associated with electric vehicle (EV) purchases is a prerequisite for governments and firms to develop corresponding policy interventions and marketing strategies. However, prior studies primarily focus on the individual role of psychological and policy attributes, and there has been limited research on how the combinations or configurations of psychological and policy attributes jointly influence consumers’ EV purchase intentions. To fill this gap, we draw on the configurational theory to develop a research framework by integrating three psychological attributes (i.e., attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) and four policy attributes (i.e., purchase subsidies, license plate control, preferential usage, and preferential driving). We build a paired dataset with both qualitative and quantitative data. Using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach, the empirical results from China reveal that configurations of attributes that lead to high EV purchase intention always include at least one psychological attribute. In contrast, even if a government has implemented purchase subsidies, the joint absences of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control lead to low EV purchase intention. We also provide interesting insights into different sociodemographic characteristics. We contribute to EV adoption literature by revealing the configurations of attributes associated with EV purchase intention from a new theoretical perspective. Our findings assist policymakers in developing potential alternatives when faced with policy adjustment.