Consumer Restistance to Innovations : The Case of Electric Passenger Cars on Gotland

Abstract: Background: The Swedish island Gotland provides suitable conditions for the successful implementation of electric cars. Despite these conditions and the availability of the product in the Gotlandic market, electric cars do not find acceptance among consumers on Gotland. This phenomenon of consumer resistance behavior represents a rather under-researched area in current literature. Since resistance behavior is one of the main reasons responsible for the high failure rate of innovative products such as electric cars, this justifies the relevance of this study. Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore the reasons for consumer resistance behavior towards electric cars on Gotland. By answering this question, the authors intend to contribute not only theoretically to the existing theory of this phenomenon but also to shed new light on the special case of Gotland regarding the non-adoption of electric cars. Methodology: In order to answer the research question, an exploratory case study approach was chosen. Quantitative data in form of a questionnaire as well as qualitative data including a group interview and six expert interviews were collected and analyzed. Key findings: The barriers preventing consumers on Gotland from adopting electric cars are rooted in four different areas. First, functional barriers occur due to the limited range of electric cars, the existing charging infrastructure, the purchase cost, as well as the technological development status of the car batteries. Second, institutional barriers arise since the local government does not provide sufficient support for the further implementation of electric cars and related issues. Third, a contextual barrier in terms of the local car industry was figured out. This contributes a lot the last identified barrier, the cognitive barrier, which concerns the consumers themselves since their lacking knowledge and awareness about issues related to electric cars on Gotland is one of the main reasons for the resistance towards this innovation. As long as these barriers exist, consumers tend to postpone the buying decision of this product to a future point in time.