The Market Disruption Path of Green-Oriented Trajectory-Transformed Technology Innovation: A Study of Consumer Lifestyles during the “Chasm” in China’s Electric Vehicle Market

Abstract

Green-oriented trajectory-transformed technology (GTTT) innovation is a strategic path that leads simultaneously to a comprehensive green transformation of national economic and social development and a disruption of corporate competition. However, this type of innovation is nonmarket-oriented and naturally results in a deeper and wider “chasm” more than any market-oriented innovation between the early market and the mass market, which is difficult to bridge; this leads to theoretical and practical difficulties with respect to the formulation of market strategies. To bridge such a “chasm”, this paper explores the paths that facilitate a market launch strategy that is capable of bridging the market “chasm”. The paper identifies electric vehicles as an example of a GTTT product, based on the hierarchical characteristic model, investigates the impact of lifestyle on consumers’ purchase intention, examines the mediating effect of interpersonal influence susceptibilities, uses data collected via consumer questionnaires to test the research model, and thereby identifies the various consumer groups that are present during the “chasm” period and the characteristics they exhibit. The results show that fashion consciousness, leadership consciousness, environmental consciousness, and informational interpersonal influence are the market strategy paths that lead to market disruption, and fashion leaders and price-conscious environmentalists are the key consumer groups during the “chasm” period.