EVs accepted, but obstacles remain, says perception study

Chennai: Several of those who have switched to electric vehicles are happy with the decision due to low fuel cost and less maintenance, but incidents of thermal runaway of EVs seem to have pushed the decision of prospective buyers to the backburner, as safety and battery life are among the concerns.

This has been revealed in a consumer perception survey done by Climate Trends along with Clean Mobility Shift in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai. “While 70% of commercial fleet owners are still wary of shifting to EVs due to initial investment and lack of public charging options. Similarly, insufficient battery range and low pickup are among the reasons commercial vehicle operators have not considered electric vehicles (EVs) on par with internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Among private users, 44% are willing to buy an electric two-wheeler, while only 4% would buy electric cars and other four-wheelers.”