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Understanding consumers’ adoption of new energy vehicles in the transition to sustainable transportation
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  • Published: 25 February 2026

Understanding consumers’ adoption of new energy vehicles in the transition to sustainable transportation

  • Yan-yan Zhang1,
  • Wen-jie Li2 &
  • Tat-Huei Cham3,4,5,6,7 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Business and management
  • Environmental social sciences
  • Psychology

Abstract

The advent of new energy vehicles (NEVs) presents hopeful pathways to alleviate the strain caused by fossil fuel consumption and environmental deterioration. However, the widespread adoption of NEVs remains a challenge. Current research on the adoption of NEVs tends to concentrate on factors like consumer psychology and vehicle performance while neglecting the role of cultural values and purchase costs in consumers’ decision-making process. Therefore, this study innovatively integrates uncertainty avoidance and price awareness into the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and explores the moderating effect of environmental awareness. This study employs partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to validate the hypotheses and the synergistic influence of antecedent combinations on the purchase intention of NEVs. The findings show that price consciousness, perceived ease of use, and attitude are important influencing factors motivating consumers to make purchasing decisions and reveal the mechanisms of uncertainty avoidance, perceived usefulness, and environmental awareness on the purchase intention of NEVs. Furthermore, fsQCA identified four conditions that are sufficient to promote the purchase intention of NEVs.

Data availability

The data are available upon reasonable request; further inquiries may be directed to the corresponding authors.

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Funding

This work was supported by the International Collaborative Science and Technology Finance (Jinan) Innovation Laboratory (JNSX2023078), the Jinan Philosophy and Social Science Project (JNSK2026C183), Shandong Humanities and Social Sciences Project and the Key Discipline Construction Program of Zhengzhou Institute of Technology.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Economics, Shandong Women’s University, Jinan, China

    Yan-yan Zhang

  2. Business School, Zhengzhou University of Technology, Zhengzhou, China

    Wen-jie Li

  3. Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

    Tat-Huei Cham

  4. University College, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Tat-Huei Cham

  5. Faculty of Tourism, Van Hien University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Tat-Huei Cham

  6. Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Tat-Huei Cham

  7. Faculty of Business, Sohar University, Sohar, Oman

    Tat-Huei Cham

Authors
  1. Yan-yan Zhang
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  2. Wen-jie Li
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  3. Tat-Huei Cham
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Contributions

Yan-yan Zhang contributed to conceptualization, data collection, software development, theoretical model development, and writing the original draft. Wen-jie Li contributed to conceptualization and proofreading. Tat-Huei Cham contributed to proofreading and editing.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yan-yan Zhang or Tat-Huei Cham.

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This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Economics at Shandong Women’s University (Study No. 2025-06-05) and was conducted in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Appendix I: Measurement items

Appendix I: Measurement items

Constructs

Code

Items

Source

Purchase

intention

PI

1. In contrast to conventional cars, I would rather drive new energy vehicles (NEVs)

Chen et al.55

2. When I buy my next car, I will prioritize purchasing a NEV

3. I like to suggest to friends that they purchase NEVs

Perceived

risk

PR

1. I'm worried that using NEVs may result in financial losses

Jain et al.91

2. I wouldn’t feel completely secure driving a NEV on the road

3. Given the drawbacks of NEVs (such as their short driving range and lengthy recharge times), I believe utilising NEVs may result in significant time losses

4. I worry about whether NEVs will really perform as well as traditional gasoline vehicles

Attitude

AT

1. New energy vehicles are appealing to me

Jaiswal et al.87

2. I think it’s a good idea to drive NEVs

3. Choosing to drive a new energy vehicle is something I feel good about

Price

consciousness

PC

1. When making a purchase, I always take the cost of NEVs into account

Cui et al.42

2. I believe the cost of NEVs is too expensive for me to purchase

3. Until NEVs become more affordable, I will stick to purchasing regular goods

Uncertainty

avoidance

UA

1. I believe it is critical to have clear instructions so that I always understand what is expected of me

Rosillo-Díaz et al.83

2. I believe it’s critical to pay great attention to directions and protocols

3. I believe that laws and norms are crucial because they let me know what is expected of me

4. Standardised work processes, in my opinion, are beneficial

5. I consider operating instructions to be crucial

Perceived

usefulness

PU

1. NEVs can help with the energy crisis by reducing carbon emissions

Wang et al.39

2. NEVs can help cut down on transportation costs

3. The quality of life and traffic efficiency are enhanced by NEVs

Perceived ease

of use

PEOU

1. NEV is useful to reduce carbon emissions and alleviate the energy shortage problems

Vafaei-Zadeh et al.5

2. Having a NEV helps my family spend less on commuting

3. I can live better and travel more efficiently with a NEV

Environmental

awareness

EA

1. I think taking a traditional fuel vehicles will damage the environment

Wang et al.67

2. I think taking a traditional petrol car will damage the environment

3. If my driving style contributes to environmental pollution, I'm willing to make a change

4. I believe that taking positive action for the environment is my obligation

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Cite this article

Zhang, Yy., Li, Wj. & Cham, TH. Understanding consumers’ adoption of new energy vehicles in the transition to sustainable transportation. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40779-x

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  • Received: 04 December 2025

  • Accepted: 16 February 2026

  • Published: 25 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40779-x

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Keywords

  • Uncertainty avoidance
  • Price consciousness
  • Consumer behavior
  • Perceived risk
  • Environmental awareness
  • fsQCA
  • Sustainability
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