Forward–reverse blockchain traceability: promoting electric vehicles with battery recycling in the presence of subsidy
研究电动汽车制造商在补贴下采用正向或正向-反向区块链追溯策略对销售和消费者剩余的影响，发现正向追溯适合消费者补贴，正向-反向追溯适合制造商补贴。
Abstract Electric vehicles (EVs) and their battery recycling have recently garnered heightened attention from both firms and consumers, primarily driven by concerns related to environmental sustainability. However, consumers often grapple with uncertainties regarding the green valuation of EVs. Integrating blockchain traceability technology presents a promising solution to mitigate these ambiguities by providing traceable, immutable, and precise information. Within this context, this research, grounded in a game-theoretical framework, delves into the strategies involving blockchain traceability in the pre-purchase and post-purchase stages of EVs. Specifically, the paper analytically studies the influence of three distinct strategies, namely, non-blockchain traceability, forward blockchain traceability, and Forward–reverse blockchain traceability, on the willingness of EV manufacturers to adopt blockchain technology. In addition, the study incorporates two prevalent government subsidies to scrutinize and contrast their implications on optimal outcomes. The findings of this study uncover the nuanced relationship between adopting blockchain traceability and its impact on EV sales. Notably, the research shows that the positive impact on consumers’ surplus from blockchain adoption depends on the cost coefficient of green low-carbon levels not exceeding a particular threshold. Moreover, regarding the use of government subsidies to enhance overall social welfare, it is shown that the forward blockchain traceability strategy should align with consumer-oriented subsidies and the Forward–reverse blockchain traceability strategy with EV maker-oriented subsidies.