Cross-Cultural Differences in the Formation of Attitudes and Usage Intention of Electric Cars: A Comparative Study of Denmark, Belgium and Italy

We propose a model in which green self-identity (GSI) is an antecedent of both environmental concern (EC) and moral obligation (MO), which in turn affect the attitude towards eco-friendly electric cars (ATT). GSI is also assumed to have a direct effect on ATT. The attitude towards the electric car then determines the intention to adopt it. The model is empirically tested in three culturally different European countries: Denmark (n=611), Belgium (n=600)and Italy (n=794). The findings reveal that the three antecedents play significantly different roles in attitude formation in the three countries, with GSI most important in Denmark, strong EC in Belgium and MO playing a dominant role in Italy. We suggest explanations using Hofstede’s values framework.