Abstract
The South African transport sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport accounting for over 90% of these emissions. Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly recognised as a key pathway for reducing fossil fuel dependency and advancing sustainable mobility. Although the country is beginning to navigate this transition, EV adoption remains limited due to high purchase costs, inadequate charging infrastructure, and policy uncertainty. Given the pivotal role of consumer acceptance in the success of any technology shift, this study examines the key factors influencing the adoption of EVs within the South African car rental industry using an extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) framework, the research explores the drivers shaping customers’ willingness to rent EVs and the potential of rental services to accelerate broader EV acceptance. A quantitative survey was conducted using a convenience sampling technique, yielding 147 responses from car rental customers across South Africa. The survey was made available from 06th October until the 18th of November 2025. Data was analysed to assess the influence of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, price value, hedonic motivation, habit, and environmental concern as an additional construct on behavioural intention to rent EVs. Habit, environmental concern, price value, and hedonic motivation significantly predict willingness to rent EVs, while effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions showed weaker effects.
This study primarily aims to address the intention-behaviour gap in electric vehicle adoption within the South African car rental industry. Additionally, environmental concern was incorporated as an extra construct, resulting in a novel research framework designed to examine its nuanced influence on the model predictors. The study also underscores the strategic role of the car rental sector in shaping consumer exposure to EVs and accelerating adoption, offering practical insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers.