A comparative study of prospective natural gas for vehicle (NGV) buyers' behavior intention in Thailand

Abstract

Global warming and the economic consequences of the global dependence on increasingly expensive gasoline have become the most serious and appalling world problems of today. Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV), currently in successful use in Thailand, have the potential to solve this problem in a relatively pollution-free manner. The question is how to get more consumers to adopt this new form of energy? This study examined how NGV's can increase in popularity and obtain more consumer adoption in Thailand. A survey of 500 potential consumers from various geographic regions and demographic groups examined what factors impact on behavioral intention toward NGV. The results suggest that consumer's behavioral intentions toward NGV are affected by factors pertaining to social influences and certain NGV attributes. Each group contains several sub-variables and is used in verifying its individual impact on consumer's behavioral intention, while the differences in vehicle factors did not strongly affect the behavior intention. Recommendations for increasing the adoption rate of NGV in Thailand are provided. The findings of this study can assist in the creation of more effective marketing appeals for NGV in Thailand. Some of these finding could also be applicable to the task of encouraging current petroleum gas users in other countries to switch to natural gas vehicles.