DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7509-820-7-0100

CHOOSING THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THE SALE OF ELECTRIC CARS IN RUSSIA

Svetlana BOZHUK, Nataliia KRASNOSTAVSKAIA, Inga NIMENIA

Purpose: The prospects for the Russian electric vehicle market substantially depend on the awareness of representatives of the younger generation, those who will choose their own cars in the near future, about the advantages of these vehicles. The main aim of this research is to explore the possible links between the factors that determine the process of choosing an electric vehicle and the intention to purchase it.
Design/methodology/approach: The source of the data was the results of a survey of young people aged 17–30 who are potential consumers of electric vehicles. For determining design features of respondents who intend to purchase an electric vehicle, the multiple correspondence analysis was applied. The results of the multiple correspondence analysis corelate with those from the paired association analysis and the ordinal regression estimation, which makes research conclusions more confident.
Findings: Males aged 21–24 who own cars and decide either independently or taking their mothers advise to purchase a car for the family are most likely to purchase an electric vehicle. Females aged 17–20 who own cars and whose decision was influenced by their fathers are the least likely to purchase an electric vehicle. In Russia, the general public is not aware of those technological advances that have allowed car manufacturers to significantly improve the consumer properties of electric vehicles. All other things being equal (car class and price), choosing an electric car is still unlikely. Consumer prejudice is prevalent about unfavourable weather conditions, which allegedly impede the operation of electric vehicles.
Research limitations: It should be noted that the study was of a pilot nature. To obtain more reliable and accurate conclusions and build a high-quality model suitable for practical use (for example, in targeted marketing), it is necessary to increase the number of observations by at least 2.5–3 times.
Practical implications: Expanding the presence of electric vehicles in car-sharing companies would significantly improve the experience of using electric vehicles for young users seeking high mobility who have not yet purchased their own car. It would help to promote electric vehicles on social media where users can share their experiences.
Social implications: The socio-demographic characteristics of consumers are weak in explaining their purchasing intentions. Those who are concerned about sustainability issues are interested in buying. In Russia the streets in the historical centre of the cities are too narrow, this poses a threat not only to air pollution, but also to the health of residents.

Keywords: consumer behaviour, electric cars, electric vehicles, sustainability

pages: 100-108, Published: 2021, online: 2021