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This study aims to understand how perceived values influence attitudes and purchase intentions for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) among Chinese consumers.

June 26, 2026Open Access

Revisiting Electric Mobility: How Individual Perceived Value Shapes Battery Electric Vehicle Adoption—Insights into Technophilia, Range Anxiety, and Battery Cost in China

HJHaojie JiaCapital University of Economics and Business HZHaipeng ZhaoUniversity of Malaya YUYosuke UchiyamaChulalongkorn University

Key Points

This study aims to understand how perceived values influence attitudes and purchase intentions for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) among Chinese consumers.
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 596 valid responses in China.
Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) were employed for data analysis.
Technophilia, range anxiety, and battery cost were examined as moderating factors in the study.
Perceived hedonic value had the strongest positive effect on attitude toward using BEVs (β = 0.591, p < 0.001).
Attitude toward using significantly predicted BEV purchase intention (β = 0.151, p = 0.002).
Hedonic value was identified as a critical necessary condition for favorable attitudes toward BEVs (d = 0.079, p < 0.001).

Abstract

As transportation-related environmental pressures intensify, understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying battery electric vehicle (BEV) adoption has become increasingly important. Drawing on the Value–Attitude–Behavior (VAB) framework, this study investigates how perceived green value, hedonic value, and utilitarian value shape Chinese consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward BEVs, while examining the moderating roles of technophilia, range anxiety, and battery cost. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in China, yielding 596 valid responses. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) were employed for data analysis. The results show that perceived hedonic value exerts the strongest positive effect on Attitude Toward Using BEVs (β = 0.591, p < 0.001), followed by perceived utilitarian value (β = 0.135, p < 0.001) and perceived green value (β = 0.074, p = 0.026). Attitude Toward Using significantly predicts BEV purchase intention (β = 0.151, p = 0.002). Technophilia significantly moderates the relationship between attitude and purchase intention (β = −0.096, p = 0.002), whereas the moderating effects of range anxiety and battery cost are not significant. The structural model explains 40.9% of the variance in attitude and 24.2% of the variance in purchase intention. NCA results further reveal that hedonic value constitutes the most critical necessary condition for forming favorable attitudes toward BEVs (d = 0.079, p < 0.001). This study contributes to the sustainable mobility literature by extending the VAB framework through the integration of multidimensional perceived value and necessary condition logic within the Chinese BEV context. The findings highlight that experiential and technological enjoyment, rather than environmental concern alone, has become a central driver of BEV adoption in emerging electric mobility markets.

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