Beyond conventional: Analysing the factors affecting the adoption of electric four-wheelers in an Indian metropolis

Abstract

This study develops an integrated choice and latent variable (ICLV) model to analyse the impact of vehicle attributes, service attributes and supporting government schemes on the likelihood to choose an electric four-wheeler in Bengaluru, India. Further, the influence of socio-demographic variables, travel attributes and latent factors on electric four-wheeler adoption behaviour is also evaluated. The findings indicate purchase price, operating cost, and charging time have a significant negative influence on the intention to adopt electric four-wheelers, while driving range and charging facilities have a significant positive impact. Perceived risks studied in the context of safety and reliability are found to be the biggest barriers to the adoption of electric vehicles followed by lack of infrastructural readiness while environmental benefits are found to be the biggest motivators for electric four-wheeler adoption. These findings are expected to help decision-makers towards widespread adoption of electric four-wheelers in developing economies such as India.