Topics identification based on user discussions in an electric vehicle forum in China

With the rapid growth of the new energy vehicles (NEV) industry, user-reported issues have steadily accumulated. Online forums dedicated to electric vehicles (EVs) serve as vital platforms for users to communicate and share experiences. It is essential to analyze user discussions on these forums to support the continued development of the NEV industry. This study utilizes Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling to identify five key discussion topics: electric vehicle driving range, hardware functionality, vehicle purchase cost, vehicle purchase process, and charging-related issues. Each topic is analyzed to uncover the primary problems and root causes. This research offers targeted insights for manufacturers and policymakers, aiming to improve strategies and support the industry's advancement.