Should I buy or should I go? The effect of the big five personality traits and satisfaction with life on E-bike ownership in Germany

Abstract

A prerequisite for sustainable mobility is the move away from fossil fuels. In addition to the transportation sector and public transport, the electrification of individual transport also contributes to the mobility transition. In the present study, we conducted exploratory structural equation modelling using data (n = 14,008) from a large-scale nationwide household panel in Germany to investigate the influence of the big five personality traits and satisfaction with life on the purchase of e-bikes. All big five domains except conscientiousness showed significant, albeit feeble, direct effects on satisfaction with life and indirect effects on e-bike purchases. Conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, as well as satisfaction with life, had direct effects on e-bike purchases. In contrast, conscientiousness and extraversion were the only big five domains that showed total effects on the outcome. However, the positive effect of satisfaction with life on e-bike ownership was modest. In contrast, owning a photovoltaic system was the strongest predictor of e-bike purchase. At the same time, individuals born in East Germany were not only more dissatisfied with their lives and less likely to buy an e-bike.