An extended Combined-TAM-TPB to explain the intention to adopt electric vehicles: a multi-group analysis of Generations X, Y, and Z

This study aims to examine the purchasing intention of electric vehicles among consumers belonging to Generations X, Y, and Z in an expanding market. The study examines how factors like perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), attitude (ATT), subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioural control (PBC), technology enthusiasm (TE), environmental enthusiasm (EE), emotional value (EV), social image (SOIM), and social influence (SOIN) impact the probability of adopting electric vehicles. 658 valid responses were collected from people in Malaysia using structured surveys. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were found to have a positive correlation with attitude. Attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, technical enthusiasm, emotional value, and social influence were found to influence intention, but environmental enthusiasm and social image did not have a significant effect on consumer intention. This study enhanced the combined framework of the theory of planned behaviour and technology acceptance model (C-TAM-TPB) by including five additional variables: technological and environmental enthusiasm, emotional value, social image, and social influence, to improve the understanding of consumers' intentions to buy electric cars in Malaysia. It provided insightful views on the various aspects influencing the readiness of Generations X, Y, and Z to adopt electric vehicles.