What Drives and Inhibits Consumers from Adopting Electric Two Wheelers: A Behavioural Reasoning Theory Perspective

Kartikeya Ashok, Abhishek Tripathi and Sourabh Arora

Management and Labour Studies, 2025, vol. 50, issue 2, 166-183

Abstract: This study contributes to the body of work on electric vehicle adoption by going beyond traditional frameworks like the Technology Acceptance Model, the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. It presents a comprehensive framework that highlights both the drivers and barriers specific to Tier 2 cities, a significant market for two wheelers in India. Although two wheelers are the preferred mode of transport in India, there has been limited research on the adoption of electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) and their role in achieving decarbonization goals. This study aims to assess the adoption of E2Ws in Tier 2 cities across India, which represents a significant market for two wheelers. To explore this, the study employs a qualitative approach using a theoretical framework to understand the reasons behind the adoption and non-adoption of E2Ws in Tier 2 cities. Eighty-nine interviews were conducted in different Tier 2 cities across four northern states. The results identified several key reasons for adoption, including monetary savings, non-financial incentives, driving pleasure, ease of use for women and senior citizens, suitability for local travel, and a pro-environmental approach. Conversely, the barriers to adoption included high ownership costs, negative motives, inadequate vehicle space, poor repair and service infrastructure, distrust, resale concerns, and negative review consensus. From a managerial perspective, this study provides strategic insights for marketers, outlining ways to promote the mass adoption of E2Ws by understanding and addressing key motivators and inhibitors.

Keywords: Behavioural reasoning theory; carbon emissions; electric two wheelers; qualitative analysis; India (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0258042X241292320 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:manlab:v:50:y:2025:i:2:p:166-183

DOI: 10.1177/0258042X241292320

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Management and Labour Studies from XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources
Bibliographic data for series maintained by SAGE Publications ().