Article
Customer Attitude towards Sustainability and Its Effect on the Intention to Buy an Electric Vehicle a Conceptual and Empirical Review of Green Consumer Behaviour in the Electric Vehicle Market
The transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) is widely regarded as one of the most visible manifestations of sustainable consumption in the transportation sector. While governments and manufacturers have invested heavily in charging infrastructure, subsidies, and product development, the ultimate diffusion of EVs depends on individual consumers choosing to purchase them. This paper examines how customer attitude towards sustainability shapes the intention to buy an electric vehicle. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Value-Belief-Norm theory, and the growing body of empirical literature on green consumer behaviour, the paper develops a conceptual model in which environmental concern, perceived environmental knowledge, and green attitude act as antecedents of purchase intention, with economic perception, social influence, and perceived behavioural control operating as complementary and moderating factors. A structured review of recent studies from South Korea, China, Pakistan, Egypt, and Europe is synthesised to identify convergent findings and unresolved debates. The review finds that sustainability-oriented attitude is consistently one of the strongest predictors of EV purchase intention, but that its influence is conditioned by cost sensitivity, range anxiety, charging infrastructure, and trust in green marketing claims. The paper concludes with a proposed survey-based methodology for empirically testing the model, along with managerial and policy implications for automakers, marketers, and regulators seeking to accelerate sustainable mobility adoption.