The partisan politics of low-carbon transport: Why democrats are more likely to adopt electric vehicles than Republicans in the United States

Electric vehicle (EV) acceptance varies across political ideologies. EV symbolic attributes, or the extent to which people perceive EVs to reinforce aspects of their identities, are among the strongest predictors of EV adoption intentions, and may contribute to this group difference. The primary objectives of this study are to better understand the role of social (in this case, political) identity in symbolic attribute perceptions, and how these variables work together to influence EV adoption intentions. Among 545 survey respondents from the state of Ohio in the United States, Democrats are more willing to adopt EVs than Republicans. This relationship is mediated by symbolic attribute perceptions. Specifically, Democrats have stronger EV symbolic attribute perceptions than Republicans, and these perceptions predict adoption intentions. Using an identity framework, this study advances our understanding of the psychological mechanisms that help explain differences in EV adoption intent amongst U.S. Democrats vs. Republicans, and offers guidance for targeted marketing efforts to enhance EV uptake.