Electric vehicles, also known as EVs, are more than just a mode of transportation – they are a reflection of who we are. A research study co-authored by TDAI core faculty member, Andre Carrel, reveals that EVs often carry deep symbolic meaning for their owners, signaling identity, values, and social status. This symbolic value isn’t just superficial, but it significantly influences an individual’s willingness to adopt EVs.

Through this study, Carrel and his team conducted two cross-sectional survey studies to explore whether the timing of a vehicle purchase decision affects the strength of this symbolic value on EV adoption intent. The team found that in both Columbus, Ohio, and Los Angeles, California, individuals who were closer in time to making a vehicle purchase placed greater importance on symbolic value. As people move closer to an actual purchase decision, EVs increasingly align with their sense of self and serve as motivating factors for adoption.

 “The decision to purchase a specific vehicle is not only driven by practical considerations but also how the owner feels that the vehicle expresses their identity, values, and status,” said Andre Carrel, Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering and City and Regional Planning.

This significant finding offers actionable insight into how electric vehicles should be marketed to the consumer. 

Carrel remarks, “Marketing campaigns focused on symbolic value, such as emphasizing how EVs can signal pro-environmental or technology innovator identities, may have greater impact on consumers who are closer (vs. farther) to purchasing a new vehicle”. Realizing that the symbolism behind the purchase of a product, in this case electric vehicles, may contribute more to the overall decision and can unlock future potentials in understanding the consumer’s mindset.

The results of this study draw on two established psychological theories: the Identitiy-Based Motivation Theory and the Construal Level Theory both of which suggest that as consumers near acting on a decision, their personal identity becomes a stronger driver. 

Looking to the future for this study, there are several avenues for research. When asked what was next for the team, Professor Andre Carrel remarked that “ our study was exploratory and utilized relatively small samples from a secondary, cross-sectional data set. Therefore, future research should first focus on replicating these findings using more suitable data sets to yield stronger conclusions…. It would be interesting to investigate whether the interactions between symbolic value and EV adoption intent vary across different types of EVs and different types of symbolism [such as] pro-environmental vs. technology innovator”.

As the EV market continues to evolve, there is a need for further research that explores how different forms of symbolism influence adoption across EV types and consumer identities.

Find more about the study at this link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629624004092