Kompleksitet på eMobility-markedet: En analyse af bundlingens indvirkning på forbrugernes beslutningsproces

Abstract

This thesis explores how market complexity influences consumer decision-making in the emerging Danish eMobility market. Based on neuroscience, sociocultural perspectives and behavioral economics, the study examines how consumers navigate a market shaped by rapid technological change, regulatory dynamics, and bundled product offerings. Thus, the paper investigates some of the largest charging operators in the Danish market and how they compose their product offerings. The analysis combines eight qualitative interviews with industry stakeholders and a quantitative survey with 377 responses including both EV and non-EV owners. In the analysis we aim to understand the marketplace dynamics and competitive landscape influencing charging operators, and how these factors contribute to the complexity of the marketplace. Furthermore, we seek to understand the tension between product offerings and consumer decision-making with a specific focus on the use of bundled solutions. While bundling can reduce complexity in the decision-making process, it simultaneously increases it by making it more difficult for consumers to compare product offerings. Hence, by examining how bundling influences both business models and consumer perceptions, the study highlights a critical intersection where market strategy and consumer behavior mutually shape one another, with consumer decisions shaped by the diversity of available offerings in a rapidly evolving industry. The findings suggest that loss aversion drives many consumers towards monthly charging subscriptions despite having access to cheaper pay-per-use alternatives. Moreover, the Danish eMobility market is heavily dominated by bundled solutions, which tend to reduce transparency and create information asymmetries that challenge consumer understanding and sometimes lead to economically suboptimal choices. Furthermore, it’s established that consumer decision-making in the Danish eMobility market is influenced by a blend of emotional and cognitive factors, with inexperienced consumers relying heavily on heuristics and reference groups for guidance. Overall, the study concludes that in this complex and evolving market, consumer decisions are not purely rational but are driven by perceived security, emotional cues, and sociocultural signals.