Consumer Behaviours Towards ECO-Cars: A Case of Mauritius

Mankind has always relied on transportation to move from one place to the other; be it by horse carriage or modernized vehicles. With rising environmental issues such as global warming, the transport industry had to evolve so as to provide greener means of transportation and satisfy demands for eco-friendly technologies. This study has shed light on consumer behaviours towards eco-cars, known as hybrid vehicles. This research was in the context of Mauritius and respondents who already drive a vehicle were targeted so as to prevent lack of information about key questions such as habits on fuel expenses and vehicle features. The survey method used, had 100% response rate and permitted the researcher to get fruitful insights about: the extent of introduction and penetration of hybrid vehicles, the factors influencing the purchase of eco-cars, the perceived benefits of owning a hybrid vehicle and the relationship between age and hybrid vehicles’ characteristics. One revelation of this study is that hybrid vehicles do not have the expected impacts on Mauritian consumers like they have on the international markets; though the younger generation- the leaders of tomorrow- are interested with eco-friendly automobiles.