New　energy　vehicles　(NEVs)　have　beneficial　effects　on　the　energy　conservation　and　environmental　protection　in　the　transportation　sector.　The　governments　have　issued　many　policies　to　promote　their　development　and　adoption.　But,　how　to　evaluate　the　NEVs　is　still　a　noteworthy　topic.　In　this　paper,　we　focus　on　the　evaluation　of　NEVs　through　online　reviews.　First,　the　online　reviews　are　obtained　from　the　websites　by　data　crawling　technology.　After　obtaining　the　data,　a　data-driven　based　method　is　developed　to　extract　the　attributes　about　the　NEVs　and　sentiment　analysis　is　conducted　to　discriminate　the　sentiment　orientation　of　each　review　to　each　alternative　under　each　attribute.　Then,　we　define　a　new　information　transformation　mechanism　to　realize　the　transformation　from　unstructured　data　to　picture　fuzzy　numbers.　Next,　a　weight　determination　method　based　on　the　proposed　picture　fuzzy　entropy　measure　is　defined　to　determine　the　weight　of　attributes.　Finally,　considering　the　bounded　rationality　of　consumers　in　purchasing,　a　picture　fuzzy　set-based　regret　theory　is　proposed　to　quantify　their　psychological　behavior.　A　case　study　about　the　evaluation　of　NEVs　are　presented　to　show　the　implementation　process　of　this　research.　Discussions　consisting　of　comparative　analysis　and　parameter　analysis　are　also　conducted　to　explore　the　superiority　and　robustness　of　the　proposed　evaluation　method.　©　2022,　The　Author(s),　under　exclusive　licence　to　Springer　Nature　B.V.