Work

The Impact of Coupling Between the Spatial Aesthetics of Electric Car Cabins and Brand Positioning on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions in the Electric Vehicle Market

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: As China's electric vehicle (EV) market transitions from rapid growth to high-quality development, competition among brands is shifting from purely technological aspects to more holistic expressions involving spatial design and brand positioning. This study investigates the coupling mechanism between spatial aesthetics and brand positioning and its influence on consumer purchase intention. Drawing on Gibson’s theory of spatial aesthetics and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), we develop a theoretical framework integrating perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of spatial aesthetics with brand cognition. Empirical analysis is conducted using coupling coordination degree modeling and multiple regression, based on 1,576 valid questionnaires collected from 4S dealerships of nine major EV brands in China. The results indicate that spatial aesthetic elements—such as environmental visual flow, invariance, and affordance—positively affect consumers’ perceptions of technology and brand recognition. Furthermore, the degree of coupling between spatial aesthetics and brand positioning perceptions significantly enhances purchase intention, particularly among consumers of safety-oriented and luxury EV models. These findings confirm the synergistic effect of spatial experience and brand strategy in shaping consumer behavior, enriching theoretical understanding of EV consumer psychology and offering practical guidance for strategic decision-making in product design and brand communication.

Source: World Electric Vehicle Journal

DOI: 10.3390/wevj17030131

Authors: Yuze Kang, Zhengbing Wang, Xiaodong Qiu, Ruixue Fu

Institutions: China Academy of Art, Beijing Jiaotong University, Shandong University of Art and Design

Language: English

Topic: Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification

Subfield: Marketing

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,689

Funder: Department of Education of Guangdong Province