Driving Brand Heritage : Exploring the Role of Brand Heritage in Sweden’s EV Market

Sammanfattning

Background - At the beginning of 2025, Jaguar’s bold rebranding sparked debate by breaking from its heritage to signal a new electric future. Volkswagen took the opposite approach by returning to traditional design elements. These contrasting cases highlight the tension legacy automakers face between innovation and brand identity in the transition toward electrification. Purpose - The purpose of this research is to understand how brand heritage influences consumer perception and trust when it comes to the adoption of electric vehicles, focusing on perceptions of brands with heritage and brands without heritage from a consumer perspective. Method - The research was conducted through qualitative, open-ended interviews, developed with the influence of theoretical concepts from existing literature. Data were analyzed thematically, findings are compared to existing heritage studies and theories in the automotive industry, allowing for new insights that integrate with established concepts. Conclusion - The findings reveal that brand heritage continues to play a critical role in shaping initial perceptions of EV brands. Customers frequently focus on a manufacturer's past performance, especially their background in producing internal combustion engines (ICEs), as a cognitive shortcut to assess the dependability and manufacturing skill of their more recent electric products, though this influence is often weighed against practical consumer priorities and market context.