Due to inadequate infrastructure, commercial vehicle owners are reluctant to switch to e-vehicles

EVs have many advantages for commercial fleet owners, including low operating and maintenance expenses, less noise, and reduced pollution.

In reference to the government's new Electric Vehicles (EVs) Policy 2023 and offering various incentives, a consumer survey was conducted in the main Tamil Nadu cities. The survey was conducted in cities such as Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore. This survey reveals reservations among commercial fleet owners about transitioning from fuel engines to e-vehicles.

The consumer perception survey conducted by Climate Trends in collaboration with Clean Mobility Shift sheds light on the need for increased awareness and governmental support, as well as the expansion of charging infrastructure, to drive the growth of EVs in the state.

The consumer survey done with 1,366 respondents featured two divisions of 1,285 private vehicle owners and 81 respondents from business fleet owners, encompassing cabs, three-wheeler transport vehicles, mini-vans and last-mile commercial EVs. The poll indicated that the readiness to switch to EVs was higher among the two-wheeler sector compared with the four-wheeler section.

S. Krishnan, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries Department, stated that the early survey assisted in the formulation of the new EV policy. He said with the State being the home of the largest commercial vehicle finance industry in the country, the findings show a lot more work has to be done through the implementation of attractive financing structures to stimulate the adoption of EVs.

EVs have many advantages for commercial fleet owners, including low operating and maintenance expenses, less noise, and reduced pollution. However, 70% of the 81 respondents were skeptical of the change due to insufficient running range, a limited charging network, a lack of an organized service network, a high capital cost, and a low uptake of loaded trucks.

The survey's high point was the amount of acceptability among two-wheeler owners. It discovered that two-wheeler owners who had already switched to EVs were pleased with the minimal maintenance and energy usage, increased range, and sharp power and torque.