¹Nguyen Thi Viet Ha, ²Tien Xuan Phong, ³Tran Thi Phuong Thao

¹Banking Academy of Vietnam

²Banking Academy of Vietnam

³Banking Academy of Vietnam

DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i3n15

Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT

In the context of the growing trend toward sustainable consumption, electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and marketers actively employ green communication strategies to attract young consumers, particularly Generation Z. However, the increasing prevalence of greenwashing - where firms exaggerate or misrepresent the environmental benefits of EVs while lithium-ion battery production processes contribute significantly to environmental pollution - raises questions regarding its impact on green trust and EV purchase intentions. This study adopts the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework to predict individual customers’ beliefs and purchase intentions, particularly among Generation Z influenced by greenwashing. Data were collected from 416 survey respondents in Hanoi and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS software. The results indicate that greenwashing exerts a significant negative effect on green trust and purchase intentions, while TPB constructs positively promote green purchase intentions. The findings highlight the need for firms to implement clear and transparent communication strategies to maintain trust and enhance consumer purchase intentions, avoid greenwashing activities, and encourage genuine green consumption.

KEYWORDS:

Generation Z, greenwashing, green trust, electric vehicle purchase intention, Theory of Planned Behavior

REFERENCES

1) Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.

2) Bamberg, S., & Möser, G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27(1), 14–25.

3) Borhan, M. N., Ibrahim, A. N. H., Syamsunur, D., & Rahmat, R. A. O. K. (2017). Why public transport fails to attract users: An analysis of behavioral intention. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 105, 54–66.

4) Braga Junior, S., Martínez, M. P., Correa, C. M., Moura-Leite, R. C., & Da Silva, D. (2019). Greenwashing effect, attitudes, and beliefs in green consumption. RAUSP Management Journal, 54(2), 226–241.

5) Chen, Y. S. (2010). The drivers of green brand equity: Green brand image, green satisfaction, and green trust. Journal of Business Ethics, 93(2), 307–319.

6) Choe, Y., Kim, J., & Hwang, J. (2021). Perceived risks from greenwashing and their influence on hotel customers’ green trust and behavioral intentions. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Marketing, 30(3), 362–385.

7) Daou, L., Sayegh, E., Atallah, E., Al Maalouf, N. J., & Sarkis, N. (2025). Greenwashing as a barrier to sustainable marketing: Expectation disconfirmation, confusion, and brand–consumer relationships. Sustainability, 17(22), 9979.

8) Erni, P., et al. (2021). Understanding sustainable consumption behavior: The role of environmental knowledge and green trust. Sustainability, 13(9), 4601.

9) Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.

10) Garai-Fodor, M., et al. (2021). Food consumption patterns in a values-based approach for Generation Z. ResearchGate.

11) Ha, N. M., et al. (2022). The impact of greenwashing on consumer trust and green purchase intention. PLOS ONE, 17(11), e0277421.

12) Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

13) Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage.

14) Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook. Springer.

15) Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135.

16) Ibrahim, A. N. H., et al. (2020). Factors influencing consumers’ intention toward green products. Sustainability, 12(6), 2484.

17) IEA. (2025). Global EV market outlook 2025.

18) Kaur, P., Dhir, A., Talwar, S., & Alrasheedy, M. (2022). Systematic literature review of green consumer behavior. South Asian Journal of Business Research.

19) Ko, J.-H., & Jeon, H.-M. (2024). The impact of eco-friendly practices on Generation Z’s green image, brand attachment, brand advocacy, and brand loyalty in coffee shop. Sustainability, 16(8), 3126.

20) Leichter, R. (2025). How much CO₂ does the transportation sector emit? Cargoson.

21) Liao, Y., & Wu, L. (2024). The influence of brand greenwashing on EV purchase intention: The moderating role of consumer innovativeness and peer brand attitude. World Electric Vehicle Journal, 15(7), 313.

22) Nguyen, T. T. H., Yang, Z., Nguyen, N., Johnson, L. W., & Cao, T. K. (2019). Greenwash and green purchase intention: The mediating role of green skepticism. Sustainability, 11(9), 2653.

23) Panda, T. K., et al. (2020). Green consumer behavior and sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 256, 120–140.

24) Paul, J., Modi, A., & Patel, J. (2016). Predicting green product consumption using theory of planned behavior and reasoned action. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 29, 123–134.

25) Prayag, G., Aquino, R. S., Hall, C. M., Chen, N., & Fieger, P. (2022). Is Gen Z really that different? Environmental attitudes, travel behaviours and sustainability practices of international tourists to Canterbury, New Zealand. Journal of Sustainable Tourism.

26) Sandman, P. M., et al. (2024). Climate change communication and public perception: The role of risk communication. PLOS Climate, 3(1), e0000346.

27) Sciglimpaglia, D., et al. (2020). Green marketing and consumer attitudes toward sustainable products. Journal of Marketing Education.

28) Shah, R., Modi, A., Muduli, A., & Patel, J. D. (2023). Purchase intention for energy-efficient equipment appliances: Extending the theory of planned behavior with eco-labels, green trust, and environmental concern. Energy Efficiency.

29) Singh, D., Katoch, R., & Singh, P. (2022). Social media marketing and Generation Z: A study of brand attitude, self-brand connection, and purchase intention. IUP Journal of Marketing Management, 21(3), 7–23.

30) Wang, X., et al. (2020). Green marketing strategies and consumer purchase intention. Journal of Consumer Marketing.

31) Watson, B. (2017). The troubling evolution of corporate greenwashing. Chain Reaction, (129), 38–40.

32) Zafar, A. U., Qiu, J., Li, Y., Wang, J., & Shahzad, M. (2019). The impact of social media celebrities’ posts and contextual interactions on impulse buying in social commerce. Computers in Human Behavior, 115, 106178.

33) Zhao, X., et al. (2022). Psychological determinants of pro-environmental behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 951132.

Cite this Article:Ha, N. T. V., Phong, T. X., & Thao, T. T. P. (2026). The Impact of Greenwashing on Gen Z's Electronic Vehicle Purchase Intentions: the Mediating Role of Green Trust. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCHS, 5(3), 550-559. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i3n15

VOlUME 05 ISSUE 03 March 2026