Evaluating the Acceptance of Portuguese Residents Towards Chinese Electric Vehicles: the Role of the Country-of-Origin Effect

This study identifies Portuguese residents� behavioural intention towards Chinese� electric vehicles from the perspective of the Country-of-Origin Effect (COE) and uses� the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT-2) as a guide to� design interview questions. According to the existing literature, UTAUT-2, a� comprehensive technology acceptance model, has not been used to assess the� Portuguese electric vehicle market, and no relevant research has been found to apply� the method of combining the COE into the UTAUT-2 framework. The purpose of this� study is exploratory in nature, it uses qualitative methods to identify the behavioural intention of Portuguese residents towards the acceptance of Chinese electric vehicles.� Data from 16 Portuguese residents was collected through semi-structured interviews� and analyzed with qualitative methodology. The study found that factors such as� performance expectations, environmental concerns, effort expectations, hedonic� motivation, and social influence have a positive impact on Portuguese residents'� purchase of electric vehicles, while price value, habits, and convenience conditions� have a neutral or negative impact. Regarding COE, apart from social influence, it has� no impact on other factors. To increase the popularity and sales of Chinese electric� vehicles in Portugal, it is recommended that advertising and marketing efforts focus on� price, charging services, after-sales service, and design