Acceptance of Electric Vehicles: Critical Review Towards a Unified Research Concept

Abstract

In many countries, electric mobility, especially electrified vehicles, is seen as essential for moving towards a more efficient, cleaner, and ideally CO2-neutral way of personal transportation. Despite the considerable technological progress in electric mobility over the last decade, the challenge of public acceptance remains unresolved, raising concerns for both manufacturers and policymakers. This article first outlines the registration situation in Germany and then explains the political framework surrounding it. Following that, it presents the number of publications related to electric vehicles, placing them within the larger context of research on acceptance. Additionally, existing meta-analyses on electric mobility are reviewed to identify potential factors influencing the adoption of electric vehicles, including purchasing decisions and future ownership. Finally, the research question is framed within the literature on customer preferences, and an overview of the theoretical implications is discussed. KEYWORDS: technology acceptance, user acceptance, electric vehicle, electric mobility, consumer preferences