Factors Driving Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty Towards Bajaj Chetak Electric Two-Wheelers: A Study Among College Students in Erode District

Abstract

The electric two-wheeler segment is increasingly popular among young, price-sensitive, urban commuters, and Bajaj Chetak has emerged as one of the leading brands in this space. College students represent a distinct consumer segment shaped by budget constraints, campus commuting needs, parental influence in purchase decisions, and strong peer and social-media influence - factors that are under-represented in existing electric vehicle (EV) literature. This study examines the factors driving customer satisfaction and customer loyalty towards Bajaj Chetak electric two-wheelers among college students in Erode district, Tamil Nadu. Drawing on the SERVQUAL framework and Oliver\'s Disconfirmation of Expectations theory, and incorporating student-specific behavioral constructs such as range anxiety, campus charging access, and peer/parental influence, the study proposes a quantitative research design using a structured questionnaire administered to students who own or regularly use a Bajaj Chetak. Data will be analysed using reliability testing (Cronbach\'s alpha), Exploratory Factor Analysis, Multiple Regression, and Chi-square tests of association to identify the key predictors of satisfaction and loyalty. The findings are expected to offer practical insights for Bajaj Auto\'s dealer network and campus-focused marketing strategies, and to extend the EV service-quality literature to the student demographic.

Introduction

This study examines customer satisfaction and loyalty among college students using the Bajaj Chetak electric scooter in Erode district, Tamil Nadu. Although India's electric two-wheeler market is expanding rapidly due to rising fuel prices, government incentives, and environmental awareness, limited research has focused specifically on college students, whose purchasing decisions are influenced by parental support, peer recommendations, campus commuting needs, and charging accessibility. The study integrates the SERVQUAL service quality model, Oliver's Expectation-Disconfirmation Theory, and a demographic-behavioral regression approach to identify the factors influencing satisfaction and loyalty. It aims to assess service quality, examine the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty, analyze the effects of demographic and student-specific variables (such as family income, hostel/day-scholar status, parental influence, charging access, and range anxiety), and provide recommendations for Bajaj Auto and its dealer network.

The proposed research adopts a quantitative descriptive design using a structured questionnaire administered to 150 Bajaj Chetak student users selected through convenience and purposive sampling. The questionnaire measures SERVQUAL dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy), EV-specific attributes (battery range, charging convenience, maintenance cost, and spare-parts availability), customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. Statistical analysis includes Cronbach's alpha for reliability, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for construct validation, Multiple Regression to identify significant predictors of satisfaction, and Chi-square tests to examine the association between satisfaction and loyalty.

A hypothetical analysis demonstrates good reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.812) and indicates that reliability, empathy, and tangibles significantly improve customer satisfaction, while range anxiety negatively affects satisfaction. Charging access has a positive influence, and hostel students are shown to be less satisfied than day scholars, likely due to limited charging facilities. The illustrative Chi-square results suggest a significant positive relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Based on these findings, the study recommends student-friendly financing schemes, campus charging infrastructure, peer-referral programs, transparent service pricing, and improved dealer responsiveness and empathy to strengthen satisfaction and loyalty among student riders. Overall, the research provides a focused framework for understanding the unique needs of student EV users and offers practical strategies for enhancing customer experience and brand loyalty in the growing electric two-wheeler market.

Conclusion

This proposed study extends existing EV service-quality and green-marketing-awareness research by focusing on a demographic segment - college students - and a single brand - Bajaj Chetak - within a defined geography, Erode district. By combining the SERVQUAL/Oliver\'s Disconfirmation framework with a demographic-behavioral regression approach and student-specific constructs such as range anxiety and campus charging access, the study is positioned to generate both theoretical contribution (extending EV loyalty research to a young, budget-constrained, peer-influenced segment) and practical value (actionable recommendations for Bajaj Auto\'s dealer network in Tier-2 markets). Completion of the study requires primary data collection from the target respondent group, followed by the reliability, factor, regression, and chi-square analyses outlined in Section 7.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Dr. V. K. Veerakumar, Mr. Boopathy T. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.