The transition to electric vehicles will not be easy. The potential buyer sees a series of difficulties for its adoption among them the price, the lack of charging infrastructure or the insufficient autonomy of electric vehicles.
However, we may not have considered another factor that prevents the customer (in this case a man) from buying a battery-powered car. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin (United States) suggests that masculinity can play a decisive role this.
The lack of sound from its engines, is an important aspect
The study analyzes the call “contingency of masculinity” and the way it influences consumer behaviors and lifestyles. Masculinity contingency is a relatively new concept that attempts to explain the extent to which a person’s self-esteem depends directly on his sense of masculinity, that is, on his idea of the type of masculinity that he has to show or how he meets the expectations. .that society has him as a person.
Although it is not very conclusive, because it was done by a small group of 400 American men and is not supported by concrete scientific data, it has interesting conclusions and points out a relationship between the concept of masculinity and the behavior of electric vehicles.
Therefore, according to this study, men may hesitate to buy an electric car because They don’t consider him “masculine” enough.. Because of this, they prefer to continue with an internal combustion vehicle, although they are fully aware of the problems of climate change.
In the research, Parent asked a demographic sample to choose between gasoline/diesel, hybrid or electric cars: 40 percent of respondents rated electric cars as the worst option. “Good consumer purchasing decisions are made, to some extent, considering how purchases reflect your personal identity” Pare said.
«Electric cars will be attractive to men because of their acceleration and technological innovation. However, among men, approval of the masculinity contingency was associated with a less desirable in this type of car” added the researcher from the University of Texas at Austin.
The study also points to that Loud engines and high performance cars are often associated with masculinity. “From an evolutionary perspective, throughout human evolution, traits associated with masculinity, such as physical strength and dominance, have been beneficial for survival and reproduction,” he explained in the publication.
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On the other hand, “electric cars, which are quieter and perhaps considered less powerful, can be seen as a deviation from these evolutionary values, which challenging the resistance of those who identify with traditional gender norms“.
