What motivates consumers to adopt controversial green mobility innovations? The case of shared e-bikes and e-scooters

Abstract

Green innovations sometimes have a debatable environmental impact, which could be related to how their adopters use them. This paper examines five factors encompassing a consumer trait of being innovative and various motivations that could help further understand the adoption of controversial green innovations. Mainly, this paper examines the use decision and users' behavioral intentions in two green innovations that have received mixed opinions – shared e-bikes and e-scooters, and how they are related to a consumer trait (eco-innovativeness) and consumer motivations (instrumental, environmental, hedonic, and symbolic). We surveyed shared e-bike and e-scooter users (n = 337) and non-users (n = 1001) in Sweden and applied structural equation modeling to test the relationship between the factors and adoption. Results show that eco-innovativeness and motivations affect use decisions and behavioral intentions differently. Specifically, environmental motivations negatively affect use decisions but are positively significant in future behavioral intentions. Hedonic motivations have the strongest effects, which could help explain the controversy surrounding shared e-bikes and e-scooters. Theoretically, we contribute to understanding how traits and motivations are significant in the diffusion of green innovations. The paper shows that despite being mainly promoted as good for the environment, other motivations could significantly drive the adoption of novel green products. Practically, this indicates that promotion and public policies surrounding green innovations should not be limited to communicating their functional and pro-environmental attributes.