Nudging with colors to promote electric vehicle rentals

The symbolic meaning of colors plays a crucial role in individual decision-making. Two experiments were conducted to explore how color influences tourists' rental decisions of electric vehicles. The first study employs a 3 (color hue) × 3 (color lightness) experimental design and analyses 300 responses to reveal that light-green and light-blue vehicles were perceived as most environmentally friendly. The second study conducts a single-factor scenario-based experiment with 600 participants. Light-green vehicles enhance perceived environmental friendliness and encourage rentals, while light-blue vehicles reduce decision-making time by evoking mental imagery. This research is innovative in applying color-based nudges into the context of sustainable self-driving tourism, contributing to nudging theory and color psychology. The findings help tourism businesses make electric vehicles more appealing.