Identifying Main User Groups for Green IS - An Empirical Study of Electric Vehicles in China

Environmental pollution and climate change are critical global challenges of our time. Electric vehicles can tackle these problems by contributing to a sustainable mobility solution and a better environment, in particular in urban areas. Despite their benefits, the diffusion of electric vehicles is still low. This study reports on what information Green Information Systems should provide to the individual users of electric vehicles. Using data obtained from a national survey in China, we identified four different user groups through a cluster analysis based on technology and environmental issues. Considering their particular characteristics, we show how information systems can specifically address the interests of each of the user groups. Our findings provide a foundation for the future design of information systems for electric vehicles in order to improve user acceptance and behavior towards environmental sustainability.