Reasons affecting the consumption of new energy vehicles by urban residents in Suzhou, China

Abstract

With the problem of environmental pollution and energy shortage becoming more and more serious, countries all over the world are innovating technologies. The energy consumption and carbon emissions generated by transportation are the main factors causing the global greenhouse effect (Jiang, 2015) Research show that, In China, vehicle exhaust is the main source of CO and NOX in air pollutants in many cities. (Wang, 2014) In order to alleviate many pollutions caused by transportation, new energy vehicles have increasingly become the strategic goal of many countries, as well as China. As a country with a large population and consumption, China has a great responsibility for environmental protection, and understanding Chinese consumers' purchasing psychology and behavior habits is of great guiding significance for the development of China's new energy vehicles. This paper attempts to find the influencing factors that lead consumers to purchase new energy vehicles. Based on the theory of planned behavior(TPB)(Ajzen, 1991a) framework of consumer behavior, it will construct a new energy vehicle consumption behavior model in a specific city in Suzhou in the context of China. Taking attitude, social norms, perceived behavior, behavioral intentions, new energy vehicle product characteristics that is customer perceived value theory mainly draws on Sweeney & Soutar to summarize the perceived value of durable goods into four dimensions: quality value, function value, price value value, and service value(J. C. Sweeney and Soutar, 2001), government policy as nine variables, the influencing factors of new energy vehicle purchase intentions were explored, the questionnaire method was used to collect data, and statistical analysis software was used to analyze the purchase intentions of new energy vehicles. Then the model will be tested, together with descriptive statistics, reliability and validity test of the survey. Finally, the correlation analysis and regression analysis are carried out on the questionnaire data, and the research hypothesis is summarized, then based on the empirical conclusions, it proposes measures to guide consumers to buy new energy vehicles or other green consumption intentions. It is hoped that based on the data of the paper, it will help enterprises to discover the real needs and potential consumption willingness of consumers, and at the same time, both enterprises and the government can adjust sales strategies and policies according to the research results, thereby helping the long-term development of new energy vehicles.