This study aims to identify and prioritize challenges to electric vehicle (EV) ownership in India, focusing on socioeconomic, infrastructural and psychological factors. It develops an India-specific framework to rank obstacles based on their influence. The study analyzes 19 challenges into five categories: scientific, structural, monetary, extrinsic and psychological. It provides actionable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders and researchers to design effective interventions to accelerate India’s transition to electric mobility, align with sustainable development goals and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The study also contributes to global discourse by offering a contextualized, empirically validated Indian perspective.
The study uses the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP) to assess and rank the challenges of EV ownership in India. The approach integrates traditional MCDM with fuzzy logic, allowing for more accurate handling of uncertainty and subjective human judgment. The research design involved a literature review, validation and refinement of 19 challenges into five dimensions. Data was collected through an online survey, and the study quantified the relative significance of these barriers. This structured approach allows policymakers and industry stakeholders to focus on the most pressing challenges while accounting for contextual uncertainties.
The study reveals that monetary and financial barriers are the most significant barriers to EV ownership in India, with upfront expenditure being the most influential factor. Scientific challenges, such as driving range and safety system reliability, are second, followed by psychological issues like life risk apprehension and viability concerns. Structural barriers, like charging scarcity, are less influential, suggesting ongoing infrastructure investments are beginning to reduce their weight. Extrinsic challenges, like skilled manpower shortages and supply chain dependency, are least influential. Environmental apathy is the least significant challenge.
This study uses a structured approach to identify and rank barriers to EV adoption in India, using Fuzzy AHP to quantify subjective judgments. It categorizes 19 challenges into five dimensions, including psychological and extrinsic aspects. The research addresses a gap in literature by focusing on India’s socioeconomic and policy landscape, highlighting the dominance of monetary barriers. The study provides novel policy and industry recommendations tailored to India’s context, challenging assumptions about environmental awareness as a key driver of EV adoption.
