Using the DEMATEL Method to Prioritize Technology Acceptance Factors in Truck E-Mobility Adoption

Decarbonisation of road freight transport is an important objective for European climate and transport policies. Truck e-mobility, which includes battery-electric vehicles and the charging infrastructure needed to support them, is predicted to be very important in reaching ambitious climate neutrality goals. Prior studies have focused on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and structural equation modelling (SEM) in investigating the behavioural intention to embrace truck e-mobility solutions and have been mainly focused on perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, and behavioural intention. This study presents the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique as another tool to present the causal framework and relative significance of these essential TAM characteristics.

A group of 12 specialists in goods transport, e-mobility, and transport policy looked at how each construct directly affected the others. The expert evaluations were then combined into a direct-relation matrix, which was subsequently normalised and used to derive the total relation matrix. The difference between cause-and-effect elements involving the dispatch, receipt, prominence, and relation indices were presented in a causal diagram. The results indicate that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness function as causal factors influencing attitude and behavioural intention, mostly considered impact variables.

By combining DEMATEL with TAM, the present study provides a systems-level view of how technology is accepted in truck e-mobility solutions and provides a structured means for early adoption prioritisation in the case of managers and policymakers.