Determinants and policy implications of residents’ new energy vehicle purchases: the evidence from China

New energy vehicles (NEVs) can effectively relieve traffic energy consumption and environmental pollution problems, while their actual sales are far from those expected in recent years. Based on the improved theory of planned behaviour, this research analyses the effects of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on the purchase intentions behind NEVs, examines the moderating effect of perceived behavioural control on the relationship between subjective norms and purchase intentions, and establishes a discrete choice model for the purchase intentions of NEVs. In addition, the research delves further into those factors influencing NEV purchase intentions of urban residents with cars and their corresponding influence on people holding different attitudes. Results showed that, for the urban residents, perceived ease of use positively affects the NEV purchase intentions of those unwilling to buy NEVs, subjective norms have a significant positive effect on purchase intentions of residents unsure about whether or not to buy, and purchase intentions of urban residents are influenced by the relative usefulness; for urban residents with cars, subjective norms can positively influence purchase intentions of residents unsure about whether or not to buy, and their purchase intentions are also influenced by the relative usefulness. These findings can provide a reference for national policies designed for NEV industry development.