A study of consumers’ perception and key factors in decision-making toward electric cars in Bangkok Metropolitan Region

The automotive industry has had an important role in Thailand’s economy for many years. In 2017, this industry contributed nearly 12% of the country’s GDP with up to two million vehicles being produced (OICA, 2017), As a consequence, this has made the country be ranked as the number one largest automotive producer in Southeast Asia, fifth in Asia, and 12th in the world. In fact, the global automotive industry has been moving toward zero carbon transport by reducing pollutant emissions in the world. Therefore, the electric car revolution has become an attractive investment market in recent years. However, building a domestic market for electric cars is still a challenge and will likely take years to penetrate the Thai market due to a variety of obstacles. This study is a contemporary topic in applied marketing that focuses on the subject area of the technological issue of electric cars in Thailand.The purpose of this study aimed to understand the need for electric cars in the Thai consumers’ mind focusing on the potential customers based on individual characteristics, and the key driven factors that impact on purchasing electric cars. The study was conducted using exploratory research and descriptive research. The exploratory research consisted of secondary research and in-depth interviews of four respondents. The descriptive research was conducted using an online questionnaire with 160 respondents. All the target respondents were Thai people aged 25-49 years who lived in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. The data acquired from the questionnaire results were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) in order to provide the result findings for each research objective. As a result of the study, the respondents were grouped into three segments based on attitude and lifestyle: 1) High-end Tech Savvy Consumers, 2) Eco-conscious Consumers, and 3) Independent Quality-oriented Consumers. Furthermore, the key important factors that significantly had an impact on the purchasing decision were the Reliability of the technology, Design, Lower tax on EVs, and Charging stations coverage in major cities. Therefore, the findings would be beneficial for businesses or related parties that are involved in the electric vehicle (EV) industry from the government, public or private charging infrastructure, and auto manufacturers. This would be in preparation for attracting early adopters of the brand new technology of EVs in Thailand.