A Study of Consumer Brand Preferences and the Effect of Policy Instruments Based on New Energy Vehicle Markets

In the context of global low-carbon transportation transformation, analyzing the correlation mechanism between new energy vehicle consumer brand preferences and policy tool effects is crucial for improving market penetration and optimizing industrial policies. This article focuses on residents of Jinan City and uses in-depth interviews based on grounded theory, association rules, and contingency analysis methods to study the correlation between consumer cognitive structure, brand preferences, and policy expectations. Shandong residents are highly concerned about new energy vehicles, Jinan is the capital of the province and a transportation hub, and its residents were chosen to be representative of the survey. The research innovation focuses on the association between brand preference and policy tools, integrating qualitative and quantitative methods to reveal group differences and brand differentiation characteristics, providing the basis for accurate policy making. The results showed that consumer purchasing status (not willing to purchase, willing to buy, already purchased) was significantly correlated with policy tool effects: government procurement demonstrations and license plate discounts were more likely to stimulate potential purchasing intentions, car purchase subsidies had a significant effect on attracting and increasing purchasing intentions among the already purchased group, while the effect of public awareness enhancement policies on reducing the proportion of unwilling groups was limited. Meanwhile, brand preferences exhibit differentiated characteristics. Based on this, the study proposes suggestions from the perspectives of government precision design policy tools and enterprise adaptation to consumer demand, providing decision-making references for the high-quality development of the new energy vehicle industry.