Bibliometric Analysis NEV Purchase Intention: Past, Present and Future Trends

Authors

  • Zhikai Yang Faculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Nilai, Malaysia; Faculty of Management, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, Guilin, China Author
  • Walton Wider Faculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Nilai, Malaysia; Department of Applied Economic Sciences, Wekerle Sándor Üzleti Főiskola, Budapest, Hungary; Faculty of Management, Shinawatra University, Pathum Thani, Thailand Author
  • Nasyra Ab. Jamil Faculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Nilai, Malaysia Author
  • Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi Faculty of Industrial Management, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Gambang, Malaysia Author
  • Syed Far Abid Hossain BRAC Business School, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Faculty of Labor Relations and Trade Unions, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70088/tpfcqj51

Keywords:

consumer behavior, purchase intention, bibliometric analysis, electric vehicle adoption, economic growth, environment

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to systematically map the intellectual structure and evolution of research on purchase intentions for new energy vehicles (NEVs). It uncovers thematic trends, key contributors, and emerging directions within this evolving field. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection database. Tools like VOSviewer enabled citation, co-citation, and co-word analyses of publications from 1982 to 2024 to visualize thematic clusters and identify leading journals, influential scholars, and country-level contributions. Findings: Sustainability, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Energy Policy emerged as the most influential journals in NEV research. Leadership has shifted from Western countries to China, reflecting changes in production, policy, and infrastructure. Three dominant co-citation clusters identified include external policy drivers, consumer behavioral factors, and methodological foundations, while four co-word clusters encompass information influence, technical performance, psychological mechanisms, and policy incentives. Originality: This study offers a multidimensional, data-driven synthesis of NEV purchase intention research, bridging technical and behavioral perspectives. It provides strategic insights for policymakers, manufacturers, and marketers, emphasizing critical areas for R&D investment and the need for integrated marketing and infrastructure strategies to accelerate NEV adoption. An updated agenda for future scholarship and policy intervention is also presented.

References

1. A. N. A. Malik and S. N. S. Annuar, “The effect of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, reward, and perceived risk toward e-wallet usage intention,” in Eurasian Bus. Econ. Perspect.: Proc. 30th Eurasia Bus. Econ. Soc. Conf., Cham: Springer Int. Publ., 2021, doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-65147-3_8.

2. N. Adnan et al., “What make consumer sign up to PHEVs? Predicting Malaysian consumer behavior in adoption of PHEVs,” Transp. Res. A Policy Pract., vol. 113, pp. 259–278, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.04.007.

3. I. Ajzen, “The theory of planned behavior,” Organ. Behav. Hum. Decis. Process., vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 179–211, 1991, doi: 10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T.

4. K. Almas et al., “Mapping out the scientific literature on extraction and socket preservation: a Scopus based analysis (1968–2020),” Saudi Dent. J., vol. 34, no. 8, pp. 681–688, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.sdentj.2022.09.003.

5. A. Ali et al., “Bibliometric analysis of finance and natural resources: Past trend, current development, and future prospects,” Environ. Dev. Sustain., vol. 25, no. 11, pp. 13035–13064, 2023, doi: 10.1007/s10668-022-02602-1.

6. S. Asadi et al., “Factors impacting consumers’ intention toward adoption of electric vehicles in Malaysia,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 282, p. 124474, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124474.

7. T. Begho and S. Liu, “Does social proof and herd behaviour drive food choices of consumers?,” Br. Food J., vol. 126, no. 3, pp. 1050–1064, 2024, doi: 10.1108/BFJ-08-2023-0676.

8. I. Bernatović, A. S. Gomezel, and M. Černe, “Mapping the knowledge-hiding field and its future prospects: a bibliometric co-citation, co-word, and coupling analysis,” Knowl. Manag. Res. Pract., vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 394–409, 2022, doi: 10.1080/14778238.2021.1945963.

9. K. Y. Bjerkan, T. E. Nørbech, and M. E. Nordtømme, “Incentives for promoting battery electric vehicle (BEV) adoption in Norway,” Transp. Res. D Transp. Environ., vol. 43, pp. 169–180, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.trd.2015.12.002.

10. K. C. Bronk, R. J. Reichard, and J. Q. Li, “A co-citation analysis of purpose: trends and (potential) troubles in the foundation of purpose scholarship,” J. Posit. Psychol., vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 1012–1026, 2023, doi: 10.1080/17439760.2023.2168563.

11. S. Carley et al., “Intent to purchase a plug-in electric vehicle: A survey of early impressions in large US cites,” Transp. Res. D Transp. Environ., vol. 18, pp. 39–45, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.trd.2012.09.007.

12. S. Chatterjee et al., “Exploring the effect of government incentives on electric vehicle purchase intention in smart cities,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 477, p. 143841, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143841.

13. Y. Chen, “Research on collaborative innovation of key common technologies in new energy vehicle industry based on digital twin technology,” Energy Rep., vol. 8, pp. 15399–15407, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.egyr.2022.11.120.

14. R. R. Clewlow, “Carsharing and sustainable travel behavior: Results from the San Francisco Bay Area,” Transp. Policy, vol. 51, pp. 158–164, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2016.01.013.

15. F. D. Davis, “Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology,” MIS Q., pp. 319–340, 1989, doi: 10.2307/249008.

16. K. Degirmenci and M. H. Breitner, “Consumer purchase intentions for electric vehicles: Is green more important than price and range?,” Transp. Res. D Transp. Environ., vol. 51, pp. 250–260, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.trd.2017.01.001.

17. N. Donthu et al., “How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 133, pp. 285–296, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070.

18. M. Dong, F. Li, and H. Chang, “Trends and hotspots in critical thinking research over the past two decades: Insights from a bibliometric analysis,” Heliyon, vol. 9, no. 6, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16934.

19. O. Egbue and S. Long, “Barriers to widespread adoption of electric vehicles: An analysis of consumer attitudes and percep-tions,” Energy Policy, vol. 48, pp. 717–729, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2012.06.009.

20. C. Fornell and D. F. Larcker, “Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error,” J. Mark. Res., vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 39–50, 1981, doi: 10.1177/002224378101800104.

21. D. Geng, Y. Feng, and Q. Zhu, “Sustainable design for users: a literature review and bibliometric analysis,” Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res., vol. 27, no. 24, pp. 29824–29836, 2020, doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-09283-1.

22. A. Ghasemi-Marzbali, “Fast-charging station for electric vehicles, challenges and issues: A comprehensive review,” J. Energy Storage, vol. 49, p. 104136, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.est.2022.104136.

23. J. F. Hair, “Multivariate data analysis: An overview,” Int. Encycl. Stat. Sci., pp. 904–907, 2011, doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-04898-2_395.

24. J. F. Hair et al., “When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM,” Eur. Bus. Rev., vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 2–24, 2019, doi: 10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203.

25. H. Han, L. Liu, et al., “The intention to adopt electric vehicles: Driven by functional and non-functional values,” Transp. Res. Part A Policy Pract., vol. 103, pp. 185–197, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2017.05.033.

26. X. Hao, et al., “Plug-in electric vehicles in China and the USA: a technology and market comparison,” Mitig. Adapt. Strateg. Glob. Change, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 329–353, 2020, doi: 10.1007/s11027-019-09907-z.

27. X. He, W. Zhan, and Y. Hu, “Consumer purchase intention of electric vehicles in China: The roles of perception and per-sonality,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 204, pp. 1060–1069, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.260.

28. M. K. Hidrue, et al., “Willingness to pay for electric vehicles and their attributes,” Resour. Energy Econ., vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 686–705, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.reseneeco.2011.02.002.

29. E. Higueras‐Castillo, et al., “Do you believe it? Green advertising skepticism and perceived value in buying electric vehicles,” Sustain. Dev., vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 4671–4685, 2024, doi: 10.1002/sd.2932.

30. X. Huang and J. Ge, “Electric vehicle development in Beijing: An analysis of consumer purchase intention,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 216, pp. 361–372, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.231.

31. Y. Jiang, et al., “What is affecting the popularity of new energy vehicles? A systematic review based on the public perspec-tive,” Sustainability, vol. 15, no. 18, p. 13471, 2023, doi: 10.3390/su151813471.

32. M. A. Khan, et al., “Value of special issues in the journal of business research: A bibliometric analysis,” J. Bus. Res., vol. 125, pp. 295–313, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.015.

33. P. Kokol, H. B. Vošner, and J. Završnik, “Application of bibliometrics in medicine: a historical bibliometrics analysis,” Health Inf. Libr. J., vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 125–138, 2021, doi: 10.1111/hir.12295.

34. V. V. Krishnan and B. I. Koshy, “Evaluating the factors influencing purchase intention of electric vehicles in households owning conventional vehicles,” Case Stud. Transp. Policy, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 1122–1129, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.cstp.2021.05.013.

35. R. R. Kumar and K. Alok, “Adoption of electric vehicle: A literature review and prospects for sustainability,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 253, p. 119911, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119911.

36. V. Kumar, et al., “Green drives: Understanding how environmental propensity, range and technological anxiety shape electric vehicle adoption intentions,” Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change, vol. 210, p. 123859, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123859.

37. H. J. Lee, “Does corporate ESG, an essential factor for overcoming the climate crisis, affect sustainability: The effects of psychological distance and purchase intention,” Bus. Strat. Environ., vol. 33, no. 8, pp. 8747–8758, 2024, doi: 10.1002/bse.3945.

38. E. Fontana, M. Atif, and H. Sarwar, “Pressures for sub‐supplier sustainability compliance: The importance of target markets in textile and garment supply chains,” Bus. Strat. Environ., vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 3794–3810, 2024, doi: 10.1002/bse.3680.

39. S. M. Mashrur and M. Mohamed, “Uncovering factors affecting consumers’ decisions for pre-owned electric vehicles,” Transp. Res. Part D Transp. Environ., vol. 139, p. 104555, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.trd.2024.104555.

40. H. F. Moed, “Measuring contextual citation impact of scientific journals,” J. Informetr., vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 265–277, 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2010.01.002.

41. V. Nimesh, et al., “Estimating personal electric vehicle demand and its adoption timeframe: A study on consumer perception in Indian metropolitan cities,” Case Stud. Transp. Policy, vol. 17, p. 101246, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.cstp.2024.101246.

42. S. Ou, et al., “Light-duty plug-in electric vehicles in China: An overview on the market and its comparisons to the United States,” Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev., vol. 112, pp. 747–761, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2019.06.021.

43. P. M. Podsakoff, et al., “Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies,” J. Appl. Psychol., vol. 88, no. 5, p. 879, 2003, doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879.

44. S. A. Qadir, et al., “Navigating the complex realities of electric vehicle adoption: A comprehensive study of government strategies, policies, and incentives,” Energy Strat. Rev., vol. 53, p. 101379, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.esr.2024.101379.

45. V. Rallabandi, et al., “Multi-Physics modeling for electric and hybrid vehicles with in-wheel electric motors,” in 2018 IEEE Transp. Electrification Conf. Expo. (ITEC), 2018, doi: 10.1109/ITEC.2018.8450091.

46. Z. Rezvani, J. Jansson, and J. Bodin, “Advances in consumer electric vehicle adoption research: A review and research agenda,” Transp. Res. Part D Transp. Environ., vol. 34, pp. 122–136, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.trd.2014.10.010.

47. C. Robert, et al., “Evolution of the scientific literature on drug delivery: A 1974–2015 bibliometric study,” J. Control. Release, vol. 260, pp. 226–233, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.06.012.

48. M. M. Sabri, K. A. Danapalasingam, and M. F. Rahmat, “A review on hybrid electric vehicles architecture and energy management strategies,” Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev., vol. 53, pp. 1433–1442, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.09.036.

49. G. Schuitema, et al., “The role of instrumental, hedonic and symbolic attributes in the intention to adopt electric vehicles,” Transp. Res. Part A Policy Pract., vol. 48, pp. 39–49, 2013, doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2012.10.004.

50. Z.-Y. She, et al., “What are the barriers to widespread adoption of battery electric vehicles? A survey of public perception in Tianjin, China,” Transp. Policy, vol. 56, pp. 29–40, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2017.03.001.

51. W. Sierzchula, et al., “The influence of financial incentives and other socio-economic factors on electric vehicle adoption,” Energy Policy, vol. 68, pp. 183–194, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2014.01.043.

52. G. Singh, et al., “Electric vehicle adoption and sustainability: Insights from the bibliometric analysis, cluster analysis, and morphology analysis,” Oper. Manag. Res., vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 635–659, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s12063-024-00442-y.

53. L. Phan, et al., “A co-citation and co-word analysis of social entrepreneurship research,” J. Soc. Entrep., vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 324–339, 2022, doi: 10.1080/19420676.2020.1782971.

54. B. K. Thean, T. H. Hon, and B. S. Abu, “The role of environmental concern in post-purchase satisfaction among green car owners in Malaysia,” Int. J. Acad. Res. Bus. Soc. Sci., vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 384–398, 2023.

55. N. J. Van Eck and L. Waltman, “Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer,” Scien-tometrics, vol. 111, no. 2, pp. 1053–1070, 2017, doi: 10.1007/s11192-017-2300-7.

56. S. Wang, et al., “Predicting consumers’ intention to adopt hybrid electric vehicles: using an extended version of the theory of planned behavior model,” Transportation, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 123–143, 2016, doi: 10.1007/s11116-014-9567-9.

57. Y. Liao, “Intention of consumers to adopt electric vehicle in the post-subsidy era: evidence from China,” Int. J. Sustain. Transp., vol. 16, no. 7, pp. 647–659, 2022, doi: 10.1080/15568318.2021.1918297.

58. S. Wang, et al., “Policy implications for promoting the adoption of electric vehicles: do consumer’s knowledge, perceived risk and financial incentive policy matter?,” Transp. Res. Part A Policy Pract., vol. 117, pp. 58–69, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.08.014.

59. Y. Wang and Y. Tian, “The impact of new energy vehicle product attributes on consumer purchase intention in the backdrop of sustainable development goals,” Sustainability, vol. 15, no. 3, p. 1989, 2023, doi: 10.3390/su15031989.

60. H. D. White and K. W. McCain, “Visualizing a discipline: An author co‐citation analysis of information science, 1972–1995,” J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci., vol. 49, no. 4, pp. 327–355, 1998, doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(19980401)49:4<327::AID-ASI4>3.0.CO;2-4.

61. Y. A. Wu, et al., “A review of evolutionary policy incentives for sustainable development of electric vehicles in China: Stra-tegic implications,” Energy Policy, vol. 148, p. 111983, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111983.

62. S. Zeng, M. Ji, and X. Huang, “An empirical study on the impact of tax incentives on the development of new energy vehicles: Case of China,” Energy Policy, vol. 198, p. 114452, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2024.114452.

63. C. Zheng, M. Khamarudin, and A. Ahmad, “Mapping the literature of electric vehicle purchase intention and consumer behavior: A bibliometric analysis of Scopus database (2010–2023),” Development, vol. 8, no. 10, p. 6056, 2024.

64. X. Zhu and H. Lamsali, “Bibliometric review on factors influencing consumers’ intention to purchase electric vehicles,” Cogent Bus. Manag., vol. 11, no. 1, p. 2422036, 2024, doi: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2422036.

65. I. Zupic and T. Čater, “Bibliometric methods in management and organization,” Organ. Res. Methods, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 429–472, 2015, i: 10.1177/1094428114562629.

Downloads

Published

24 September 2025

Issue

Vol. 10 (2025): 2025 Science, Technology, and Social Development Paper Collection（V10 STSDPC 2025）

Section

Article

How to Cite

Yang, Z., Wider, W., Jamil, N. A., Fauzi, M. A., & Hossain, S. F. A. (2025). Bibliometric Analysis NEV Purchase Intention: Past, Present and Future Trends. GBP Proceedings Series, 10, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.70088/tpfcqj51