Over 50% of Indian EV Owners Prefer Returning to Petrol/Diesel Vehicles: Survey Reveals
Over 50% of Indian EV Owners Prefer Returning to Petrol/Diesel Vehicles: Survey Reveals
A recent survey by Park+ has highlighted significant concerns among Indian electric vehicle (EV) owners, with over 50% expressing a preference for switching back to petrol or diesel vehicles. The survey, conducted with 500 EV owners from Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bangalore, underscores several challenges faced by EV users.
Key findings from the Park+ report reveal that a substantial 88% of respondents experience “charging anxiety,” a major issue that outweighs range anxiety. This concern leads many drivers to limit their travel to short intercity trips of under 50 km. Additionally, 73% of participants highlighted high maintenance costs as a critical issue, with difficulties in finding local mechanics equipped to repair EVs and limited options for obtaining second opinions on repair costs.
The survey also pointed out significant depreciation concerns, with 33% of respondents worried about the falling resale value of EVs. The lack of standardized tests for evaluating battery quality—making up 30% of an EV’s value—complicates the valuation process compared to the more straightforward valuation of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles based on age and mileage.
Despite the growing market, with nearly 91,000 electric passenger vehicles sold in India during the Financial Year 2023-24, the overall satisfaction among EV owners is lower than that of ICE vehicle owners. Notably, 51% of those surveyed would consider returning to ICE vehicles for their next purchase.
Among the EV models, the Tata Nexon EV was the most favored, with 61% of respondents preferring it. The Punch EV followed with 19%, while BYD, despite its attention, was criticized for its high pricing and limited test drive availability.
