Government is trying but consumers are not buying: A barrier analysis for electric vehicle sales in India

It is a harsh fact that the introduction of various government schemes to push electric vehicle (EV) utilisation does not seem to appeal to the consumers. There are a few barriers that prevent consumers from purchasing EVs. Thus, in the present study, we have tried to identify and analyse the prominent barriers to the adoption of EVs by scrutinising the existing literature and defining new barriers. From the literature review, 35 barriers have been initially identified in the context of the Indian market. The study uses the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach for its analysis. The prominence and causal relationship analyses indicate that familial factors that hinder the decision to buy an EV and unclear government policies regarding EVs were the primary concerns with regard to these vehicles getting traction in the market. The results of this study illustrate the causal relationships amongst the identified barriers. On the other hand, the study reveals that the pricing of the EVs is not a major issue and that the consumers are more concerned about the availability of maintenance support post purchasing of the vehicles. (C) 2021 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Government schemes to promote EV usage have not attracted consumers, who face multiple barriers to purchasing EVs, mainly due to familial factors and unclear government policies. The pricing of EVs is not a major issue, with consumers more concerned about post-purchase maintenance support.