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Potential Early Adopters of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in Spain—Towards a Customer Profile

Author

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  • Elena Higueras-Castillo

    (Department of Marketing and Market Research, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Granada, Paseo de Cartuja 7, 18011 Granada, Spain)

  • Sebastian Molinillo

    (Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Malaga, El Ejido Campus, 29071 Malaga, Spain)

  • J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak

    (Department of Marketing, Events and Tourism, Faculty of Business, University of Greenwich, Park Row, London SE10 9LS, UK)

  • Francisco Liébana-Cabanillas

    (Department of Marketing and Market Research, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Granada, Paseo de Cartuja 7, 18011 Granada, Spain)

Abstract

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by consumers is regarded as a key strategic goal for the reduction in transport-related air pollution levels. Although sales of EVs continue to rise year on year, generally, the attainment of the strategic goals set by various governments for the adoption of EVs remains a distant target. The purpose of this study is to identify the customer profile of early adopters of EVs in Spain: one of Europe’s largest economies, yet the country with the lowest uptake of EVs at present. The analysis presented here is based on an online survey of 404 potential consumers of EVs in Spain. A cluster analysis of the data was performed based on a set of three socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, and income), one psychographic (green moral obligation—GMO) and two EV attributes (price and driving range). The results of this analysis showed that there exist two segments with respect to higher or lower customer intentions related to the adoption of EVs. These findings represent a theoretical contribution to current understanding of the customer profile of adopters of EVs and will contribute to the development of communication and retail strategies aimed at customers fitting the profile of early adopters of new technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Higueras-Castillo & Sebastian Molinillo & J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak & Francisco Liébana-Cabanillas, 2020. "Potential Early Adopters of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in Spain—Towards a Customer Profile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-18, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:11:p:4345-:d:362899
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