Despite increasing policy initiatives and manufacturer-led take-back programs, consumer participation in formal electric vehicle (EV) battery return systems remains limited, particularly in emerging economies such as Malaysia. This issue poses significant challenges to sustainable EV battery management and the advancement of circular economy practices. Therefore, this conceptual paper aims to develop an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework to explain consumers’ intention to participate in formal EV battery return systems by incorporating electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) as a moderating variable. The paper proposes that favorable attitudes, stronger subjective norms, and higher perceived behavioral control positively influence consumers’ intention to participate in formal EV battery return systems. Furthermore, positive and credible eWOM is expected to enhance these relationships by increasing informational credibility, social validation, perceived convenience, and consumer confidence toward formal battery return practices. This paper contributes to the environmental behavior and circular economy literature by extending TPB through the integration of eWOM as a digital social influence mechanism within the underexplored context of formal EV battery return systems. The proposed conceptual framework provides theoretical insights for future empirical studies and practical guidance for policymakers, EV manufacturers, and recycling operators seeking to enhance consumer participation in sustainable EV battery management systems.
Ackaah, W., Kanton, A. T., & Osei, K. K. (2022). Factors influencing consumers’ intentions to purchase electric vehicles in Ghana. Transportation Letters, 14(9), 1031–1042. https://doi.org/10.1080/19427867.2021.1990828
Adjei, M., Song, H., Nketiah, E., Obuobi, B., & Adu-Gyamfi, G. (2023). Waste management: Forecasting residents’ plastic waste recycling intention and behavior in Ghana. Current Psychology, 42(35), 30987–31003. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04056-0
Adu-Gyamfi, G., Song, H., Nketiah, E., Obuobi, B., Adjei, M., & Cudjoe, D. (2022). Determinants of adoption intention of battery swap technology for electric vehicles. Energy, 251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.123862
Ahmed, S. K. (2024). How to choose a sampling technique and determine sample size for research: A simplified guide for researchers. In Oral Oncology Reports (Vol. 12). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oor.2024.100662
Asadi, S., Nilashi, M., Iranmanesh, M., Ghobakhloo, M., Samad, S., Alghamdi, A., Almulihi, A., & Mohd, S. (2022). Drivers and barriers of electric vehicle usage in Malaysia: A DEMATEL approach. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105965
Boo, S. Y., & Tan, C. (2024). Electric vehicles purchase intention: the role of mediators using an extended TPB model. Journal of Contemporary Marketing Science. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcmars-11-2023-0042
Chang, R., Vafaei-Zadeh, A., Hanifah, H., Nikbin, D., & Yee Choo, S. (2025). Exploring the determinants of power battery recycling intention of electric vehicle owners in China: Environmental knowledge as a moderator. Energy, 334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2025.137592
Chun, Y. Y., Chinen, K., & Matsumoto, M. (2023). How to attract newness-conscious consumers to a circular electric vehicle economy. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 40, 147–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2023.06.018
Cuong, D. T. (2024). Examining How Electronic Word-of-Mouth Information Influences Customers’ Purchase Intention: The Moderating Effect of Perceived Risk on E-Commerce Platforms. SAGE Open, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241309408
Ding, Z., Wen, X., Zuo, J., & Chen, Y. (2023). Determinants of contractor’s construction and demolition waste recycling intention in China: Integrating theory of planned behavior and norm activation model. Waste Management, 161, 213–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2023.03.005
Dong, B., & Ge, J. (2022). What affects consumers’ intention to recycle retired EV batteries in China? Journal of Cleaner Production, 359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132065
Filieri, R., Acikgoz, F., & Du, H. (2023). Electronic word-of-mouth from video bloggers: The role of content quality and source homophily across hedonic and utilitarian products. Journal of Business Research, 160, 113774. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2023.113774
Guo, R., Wang, F., Akbar Rhamdhani, M., Xu, Y., & Shen, W. (2024). Managing the surge: A comprehensive review of the entire disposal framework for retired lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles. In Journal of Energy Chemistry (Vol. 92). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jechem.2024.01.055
Hair, J. F., Singh, S., Kaur, R., & Dana, L. P. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). In SAGE Publication.
Hamzah, M. I., & Tanwir, N. S. (2021). Do pro-environmental factors lead to purchase intention of hybrid vehicles? The moderating effects of environmental knowledge. Journal of Cleaner Production, 279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123643
Hua, Y., & Dong, F. (2022). Can environmental responsibility bridge the intention-behavior gap? Conditional process model based on valence theory and the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134166
Huang, X., Lei, S., Liu, F., Li, Y., Zhou, F., & Lim, M. K. (2024). Consumer preference and willingness-to-pay for formal recycling of electric vehicle batteries: A discrete choice experiment in China. Journal of Environmental Management, 370, 122180. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2024.122180
Khan, S. A. R., Tabish, M., & Yu, Z. (2023). Investigating recycling decisions of internet recyclers: A step towards zero waste economy. Journal of Environmental Management, 340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117968
Lee, H., & Kim, J. (2025). Strategies for promoting consumer participation in the collection of retired electric vehicle batteries. Journal of Environmental Management, 380, 124853. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2025.124853
Lee, S. S., Kim, Y., & Roh, T. (2023). Pro-environmental behavior on electric vehicle use intention: Integrating value-belief-norm theory and theory of planned behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138211
Li, J., Xu, Y., Jiao, J., Yang, R., & Zha, J. (2023). Do recycling channels affect young consumers’ choices for formal power battery recycling? Journal of Cleaner Production, 425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138766
Liu, H., Jayawardhena, C., Shukla, P., Osburg, V. S., & Yoganathan, V. (2024). Electronic word of mouth 2.0 (eWOM 2.0) – The evolution of eWOM research in the new age. Journal of Business Research, 176, 114587. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JBUSRES.2024.114587
Liu, Z., Yang, J. Z., Clark, S. S., & Shelly, M. A. (2022). Recycling as a planned behavior: the moderating role of perceived behavioral control. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 24(9), 11011–11026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01894-z
Lou, S., Zhang, X., & Zhang, D. (2022). What determines the battery recycling behavior of electric bike users?: Introducing recycling convenience into the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134560
Michael, L. K., Hungund, S. S., & Sriram, K. V. (2024). Factors influencing the behavior in recycling of e-waste using integrated TPB and NAM model. In Cogent Business and Management (Vol. 11, Number 1). Cogent OA. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2295605
Mohammed, K. Y., & Ojoawo, B. I. (2024). Sustainable EV Battery Management: Process Optimization, Recycling and Green Technologies for Retired Batteries. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 43(12). https://doi.org/10.9734/cjast/2024/v43i124459
Muzir, N. A. Q., Mojumder, M. R. H., Hasanuzzaman, M., & Selvaraj, J. (2022). Challenges of Electric Vehicles and Their Prospects in Malaysia: A Comprehensive Review. In Sustainability (Switzerland) (Vol. 14, Number 14). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148320
Sabbir, M. M., Khan, T. T., Das, A., Akter, S., & Hossain, M. A. (2023). Understanding the determinants of consumers’ reverse exchange intention as an approach to e-waste recycling: a developing country perspective. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 15(3), 411–439. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-11-2021-0565
Sarker, M., & Al-Muaalemi, M. A. (2022). Sampling Techniques for Quantitative Research. In Principles of Social Research Methodology. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5441-2_15
Sarstedt, M., Hair, J. F., Pick, M., Liengaard, B. D., Radomir, L., & Ringle, C. M. (2022). Progress in partial least squares structural equation modeling use in marketing research in the last decade. Psychology and Marketing, 39(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21640
Sharma, M., Kaushal, D., Joshi, S., Kumar, A., & Luthra, S. (2024). Electronic waste disposal behavioral intention of millennials: A moderating role of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and perceived usage of online collection portal. Journal of Cleaner Production, 447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141121
Shen, X., Chen, B., Leibrecht, M., & Du, H. (2022). The Moderating Effect of Perceived Policy Effectiveness in Residents’ Waste Classification Intentions: A Study of Bengbu, China. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020801
Tang, Y., Zhang, Q., Liu, B., Li, Y., Ni, R., & Wang, Y. (2023). What influences residents’ intention to participate in the electric vehicle battery recycling? Evidence from China. Energy, 276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.127563
Umair, M., Hidayat, N. M., Ali, N. H. N., Nasir, N. S. M., Hakomori, T., & Abdullah, E. (2024). A Review of Malaysia’s Current State and Future in Electric Vehicles. In Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (Vol. 12, Number 4). https://doi.org/10.13044/j.sdewes.d12.0522
Yadav, R., Kumar Panda, D., & Kumar, S. (2022). Understanding the individuals’ motivators and barriers of e-waste recycling: A mixed-method approach. Journal of Environmental Management, 324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116303
Zhang, J., Zhao, L., & Hu, S. (2021). Visualizing recycling: Promoting recycling through mental simulation. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105783
Suganya Subramaniam, & Vafaei-Zadeh, A. (2026). Understanding Consumers’ Intention to Participate in Formal EV Battery Return Systems: The Moderating Role of Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 16(6), 129–140.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
