Electric vehicles are the future of transportation : can this be the future for the university students?

Abstract

The pollution created by internal combustion engine cars is one of the leading causes of climate change, which is an ever-growing concern. Nonetheless, there seems to be a sudden rise in environmental consciousness globally, and individuals are gradually adopting cleaner lifestyles. Electric cars provide a more environmentally friendly option to internal combustion engine automobiles, and their viability is growing. Electric cars are ideal for locations with short travelling time, such as Malta, although the majority of customers continue to choose petrol and diesel automobiles. The goal of the National Electromobility Plan of Malta was to have 5,000 electric cars on the streets by the year 2020. Unfortunately, as of October 2021, there have only been 1,608 electric passenger cars out of 312,495 registered passenger cars, rendering this objective unattainable. It is necessary to do an investigation to determine how electric car uptake may be boosted. Consequently, the purpose of this research was to determine what influences university students’ desire to purchase a fully electric car here in Malta. The literature evaluation serves as a foundation for the assumptions described in this research, and an online questionnaire was designed. The questionnaire was based on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour and contained questions about general knowledge of electric vehicles, government grants and overall student thoughts and awareness regarding such vehicles. With this study, a random sample of university students was selected, and the questionnaire was sent through university email and via friends of friends who are also currently enrolled in university. The major results indicate a link between perceived behavioural control and electric car purchase intent. Lastly, the study's shortcomings and recommendations for further research are discussed. The implications of the data are reviewed, and suggestions are offered to relevant parties about which sectors should be addressed to boost the amount of prospective electric car consumers.