The Impact of Social Conformity on Adopting Decision of Shared Electric Vehicles: A Choice Experiment Analysis in China

Social conformity, a psychological phenomenon commonly shared by most individuals, has long been ignored by studies focusing on influencing preferences for shared electric vehicles (SEVs). To fill this gap, this paper divides social conformity into informational conformity and normative conformity, and analyzes their effects on individuals’ choice of SEVs. Respondents were selected randomly in Jiangsu Province, and the data were collected by the choice experiment method. The data were further analyzed by logit models. Results show that social conformity has a significant positive impact on individuals’ choice of SEVs, and informational conformity has a much more profound impact than normative conformity. The driving cost and the convenience of picking up and returning a vehicle also influence consumers’ preferences. In addition, social conformity cannot totally dispel the negative impact of poor experience. Finally, some targeted policy recommendations are proposed.