Key Factors That Influence Consumer Decision to Purchase Electric Scooters

The study derived 20 variables that influence the decision to buy an electric scooter (ES) based on a literature review and interviews with distributors and customers. These variables were divided into five groups, including government strategy, product strategy, pricing strategy, place strategy, and promotion strategy, and then, a hierarchical structure was established. The weighting of the variables and the relationships among them were obtained using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. The results show that product warranty has the highest weighting and is thus the most important variable, with battery capacity (i.e., driving range) the second. Government strategy (including the items of purchasing subsidy, training maintenance personnel, locations of recharging stations, and not imposing fuel and license taxes) is the main factor that influences consumer intentions to purchase ES, and its effects can be strengthened by other factors. Therefore, future marketing strategies to promote the sale of ES should highlight favorable government strategies with regard to this emerging form of transport. That is, government purchasing subsides and the locations of recharging stations are the critical measures that can increase consumer intentions to buy an ES. Moreover, the producers of such vehicles should continually work to improve their driving range and provide good product warranties.

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