E-vehicle buyers wary of high prices, lack of charging infrastructure: survey

High prices of electric vehicles and limited charging infrastructure pose major challenges for potential customers, according to a private survey conducted by social media community Local Circles.

More than 21,000 citizens in 180 urban districts across the country were contacted to gather their views but only 9 per cent of them said they will buy an electric vehicle in 2020. Another 27 per cent said they may consider buying a non-polluting vehicle.

Nearly 54 per cent of them clearly said they will not buy an electric vehicle while 10 per cent were unsure.

According to the survey, 13 per cent of potential customers said they will opt for an electric vehicle due to lower total cost of ownership while 52 per cent said it will be their contribution towards a cleaner environment.

About 19 per cent said they have had enough of buying fossil fuels and coping with price fluctuations.

A total of 23 per cent of the respondents were women while 77 per cent were men. More than half of them were from the metro and tier-one cities, 37 per cent from tier two cities and 12 per cent were from tier-three cities.

The government is trying to encourage the adoption of electric mobility to reduce the dependency on crude oil imports and bring down pollution across the cities.