Abstract

Environmental concern has emerged as a decisive psychological determinant of pro-environmental consumer behaviour
globally, yet its specific causal relationship with electric vehicle (EV) purchase decisions in Indian Tier district contexts remains
insufficiently examined. Anchored in the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this
study investigates the impact of environmental concern operationalised across four dimensions: environmental knowledge,
perceived environmental threat, ecological values, and pro-environmental attitude-on the EV purchase decision of consumers
in coimbatore district. A structured, pre-tested questionnaire was administered to 400 respondents selected through stratified
random sampling from urban and semi-urban localities of coimbatore district. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics,
one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) within a
Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) framework using AMOS 24. The results reveal that all four dimensions of environmental
concern exert a statistically significant and positive influence on EV purchase decisions, collectively accounting for 71.3% of
variance (R² = 0.713). Perceived environmental threat (β = 0.362) and pro-environmental attitude (β = 0.298) are the strongest
predictors. The SEM model demonstrates excellent fit (CFI = 0.951, RMSEA = 0.048, SRMR = 0.052), validating the proposed
theoretical framework. Significant differences in environmental concern levels were identified across gender, age, and place of
residence. The findings generate actionable recommendations for EV manufacturers, eco-marketers, and Tamil Nadu state
policymakers seeking to leverage environmental consciousness as a strategic lever for accelerating sustainable mobility
adoption in coimbatore district.