Sustainable consumption motivation driving the purchase intention of new energy vehicles: A chain mediation model

• Constructing a three-dimensional degree-driven complex chain mediation model. • Sustainable consumption motivations positively impact NEV purchase intention. • Explore the influence of consumers' psychological and behavioural mechanisms on their intention to purchase NEVs. • The complex intertwined relationship between consumer behaviour and consumer psychology is explored. New energy vehicles are key in global greenhouse gas emissions reduction and climate change response. In scientific research, existing studies have thoroughly explored the technological innovation, policy impact, market acceptance, and environmental benefits of NEVs. Research on consumers' willingness to purchase NEVs has also yielded rich results, covering various factors such as economic incentives, policy support, and environmental awareness. However, few studies have considered the compound effects of these factors on purchase intention from the perspectives of psychology and behavioral science. Therefore, based on the research of previous scholars, this study constructs a three-dimensional degree-driven complex chain mediation model based on the expectation confirmation model and explores how different motivators affect purchase intention through psychological and behavioral mechanisms through consumer research. The results show that (1) motivations for sustainable consumption significantly and positively affect the purchase intention of new energy vehicles. (2) Offline experience behavior mediates between green self-efficacy and motivations for sustainable consumption behavior. (3) Green self-efficacy and offline experiential behavior show significant chain mediation effects between economic incentives perception and purchase intention. This study aims to further deepen the understanding of the market behavior of new energy vehicles and provide strategic recommendations to promote their market acceptance.