Chapter 1
The Chinese-Brand Electric Vehicles
in the Eyes of the US Consumers
Kenichiro Chinen, Hideki Endo, Mitsutaka Matsumoto,
and Yongliang Stanley Han
Abstract Researchers have found how driving electric vehicles (EVs) can be one
solution to the negative environmental impact of petrol or diesel cars because they
produce substantially lower emissions and are more energy-efficient than conventional cars. EVs are predicted to be the disruptive market force for transportation and
technology. Of one million EVs sold in 2017, more than half of global sales were
in China. China has a strong leadership position in the EV industry. The purpose of
this study is to examine the US consumers’ reliance on Country-Of-Origin (COO)
information in evaluating the quality of the Chinese-brand EVs (CBEVs) made-in
various countries. Researchers suggest that consumers use COO as an information
cue when evaluating a product, particularly if they lack detailed knowledge of the
product. The results show that the perceived product quality of electric vehicles made
in various countries influences consumers’ purchasing behavior. The study also found
that consumers’ ethnocentrism has an effect on their buying behavior.
Keywords Electric vehicles · Chinese-brand · Country-Of-Origin · Ethnocentric
1.1 Introduction
Researchers have found how driving an electric vehicle (EV) can produce substantially lower emissions than a petrol or diesel car. According to the International
Energy Agency, the total number of EVs in the global market surpassed three million
in 2017. Of one million EVs sold in 2017, more than half of global sales were in China.
China has a strong leadership position in the EV industry (Perkowski 2018). However,
K. Chinen (B) · Y. S. Han
California State University, Sacramento, USA
e-mail: chinen@csus.edu
H. Endo
Nihon Fukushi University, Mihama, Japan
M. Matsumoto
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Kishita et al. (eds.), EcoDesign and Sustainability II, Sustainable Production, Life
Cycle Engineering and Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6775-9_1
3
The Chinese-Brand Electric Vehicles
in the Eyes of the US Consumers
Kenichiro Chinen, Hideki Endo, Mitsutaka Matsumoto,
and Yongliang Stanley Han
Abstract Researchers have found how driving electric vehicles (EVs) can be one
solution to the negative environmental impact of petrol or diesel cars because they
produce substantially lower emissions and are more energy-efficient than conventional cars. EVs are predicted to be the disruptive market force for transportation and
technology. Of one million EVs sold in 2017, more than half of global sales were
in China. China has a strong leadership position in the EV industry. The purpose of
this study is to examine the US consumers’ reliance on Country-Of-Origin (COO)
information in evaluating the quality of the Chinese-brand EVs (CBEVs) made-in
various countries. Researchers suggest that consumers use COO as an information
cue when evaluating a product, particularly if they lack detailed knowledge of the
product. The results show that the perceived product quality of electric vehicles made
in various countries influences consumers’ purchasing behavior. The study also found
that consumers’ ethnocentrism has an effect on their buying behavior.
Keywords Electric vehicles · Chinese-brand · Country-Of-Origin · Ethnocentric
1.1 Introduction
Researchers have found how driving an electric vehicle (EV) can produce substantially lower emissions than a petrol or diesel car. According to the International
Energy Agency, the total number of EVs in the global market surpassed three million
in 2017. Of one million EVs sold in 2017, more than half of global sales were in China.
China has a strong leadership position in the EV industry (Perkowski 2018). However,
K. Chinen (B) · Y. S. Han
California State University, Sacramento, USA
e-mail: chinen@csus.edu
H. Endo
Nihon Fukushi University, Mihama, Japan
M. Matsumoto
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Kishita et al. (eds.), EcoDesign and Sustainability II, Sustainable Production, Life
Cycle Engineering and Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6775-9_1
3