Kenichiro Chinen

Researchers have found how driving electric vehicles (EVs) can be one solution to the negative environmental impact of petrol or diesel cars because they produce substantially lower emissions and are more energy-efficient than conventional cars. EVs are predicted to be the disruptive market force for transportation and technology. Of one million EVs sold in 2017, more than half of global sales were in China. China has a strong leadership position in the EV industry. The purpose of this study is to examine the US consumers’ reliance on Country-Of-Origin (COO) information in evaluating the quality of the Chinese-brand EVs (CBEVs) made-in various countries. Researchers suggest that consumers use COO as an information cue when evaluating a product, particularly if they lack detailed knowledge of the product. The results show that the perceived product quality of electric vehicles made in various countries influences consumers’ purchasing behavior. The study also found that consumers’ ethnocentrism has an effect on their buying behavior.

Remanufacturing is one of the key determinants in enhancing resource efficiency of economies and pursuing circular economy. Facilitating international remanufacturing supply chain enhances the effects of remanufacturing. This study focused on the current scenario in remanufacturing businesses and related policies in Southeast Asia through interviews with 12 companies in 4 Southeast Asian countries, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Philippines, and 5 Japan-based companies having remanufacturing facilities in Southeast Asia. The study presents the barriers for the remanufacturing businesses and debates on the roles of the governments to promote remanufacturing.