Navigating Perspectives in the Electric Vehicle Market - Unraveling the Effect of Message Sidedness on Electric Vehicle Adoption

Abstract

EVs have been proposed as a significant contributor in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transportation and address climate change effects on a long-term basis. However, despite these environmental benefits and governmental incentive policies to enhance adoption, consumers remain hesitant to shift from ICEVs to EVs. In previous studies, perceived risk and knowledge emerged as crucial factors in affecting individuals’ intention to adopt EVs. Research suggests the concept of message sidedness (one-sided or two-sided) as an effective communication strategy in enhancing adoption intention. One-sided messages address positive aspects of the product, while two-sided messages present both positive and negative aspects, thereby creating a more balanced perspective on the product. However, the findings of the effectiveness of message sidedness on adoption intention remain ambiguous. This study applies a focus on battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) specifically. The objective of this research is to investigate the relationship of message sidedness and adoption intention to BEVs. Additionally, the study examines whether perceived risk and knowledge have a moderating effect on the relationship between message sidedness and adoption intention to BEVs. A survey-based experiment with between-subject design has been conducted to test the research model. The results reveal that ad type (one-sided or two-sided) does not significantly affect adoption intention. Additionally, neither perceived risk, nor knowledge moderate the relationship between ad type and adoption intention. Nevertheless, perceived risk has a negative direct effect on adoption intention. Additional analyses were conducted to further explore the relationships of the constructs. Among others, the results reveal that the ad type may significantly affect ad credibility and that this interaction is negatively moderated by perceived risk. Additionally, the findings suggest that there may be a direct effect between ad credibility and adoption intention. The findings of this study extend previous literature by confirming the intricate effects of message sidedness, especially in accordance with the variables included. Consequently, the study suggests several managerial implications for automotive firms.