Electric Vehicle Adoption: Japanese Consumer Attitudes, Inter-Vehicle Transitions, and Effects on Well-Being

The use of full-battery electric vehicles is an essential strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. This study examined the transition to full-battery electric vehicles by conducting a cross-sectional household survey in 2023 that collected information on vehicle preferences, evaluations, purchase intentions, environmental attitudes, and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The results show that among households using a vehicle as their primary mode of transportation, approximately 89% relied on fossil fuel vehicles, whereas only 6% used electric vehicles. The study further finds that acceptance of vehicles during inter-vehicle transitions is closely linked to energy type: households currently owning fossil fuel vehicles exhibited a high likelihood of repurchasing a fossil fuel vehicle, while electric vehicle owners were more inclined to choose another electric vehicle across cities and areas of different sizes. Households that own electric vehicles tend to report higher levels of well-being compared with those that own fossil fuel vehicles. In addition, sufficient charging infrastructure, stronger knowledge of environmental issues, participation in altruistic donation activities, and cooperative behavior positively influenced electric vehicle adoption. These findings suggest several policy implications, including the expansion of charging stations for business and public use, setting reasonable vehicle prices, improving charging speed, developing electric vehicles suitable for large families, and encouraging individuals to gain initial driving experience with electric vehicles to promote adoption.