Critical analysis on the implementation barriers and consumer perception toward future electric mobility

Abstract

Future mobility is expected to be sustainable in terms of energy production, consumption, and vehicle emissions. Embedded intelligent systems are playing a crucial role in the electrification of vehicles, their autonomy and implementation. Though electric vehicle technology is expected to lead the automotive powertrain architecture in the coming decades, various barriers currently hinder their acceptance into the automotive market. These barriers are generally categorized into battery technology, vehicle performance, charging infrastructure, consumer behavior, and government support. Hence, a detailed analysis of these barriers, especially for developing countries with minimal electric vehicle penetration is an area of concern. This article investigates the barriers and infers the comparative order of resolution for each barrier based on its priority to be identified and overcome. As consumers are the major influencers of electric vehicle demand and acceptance, barrier analysis is carried out based on their opinions. Using a Consumer Perception Survey, this article determines the influence of each barrier on potential users of electric vehicles. Fuzzy Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio analysis and TOPSIS are implemented to allocate evaluation factors to each sub-barrier to obtain the hierarchy of priority. Furthermore, this article highlights the policies and schemes implemented in developed countries and correlates them with their electric vehicle population. The article sheds light on different measures to be taken in developing countries such as India to mitigate barriers and bridge gaps. The outcome of the literature review and consumer perception survey shows that the major factors affecting electric vehicle implementation in developing countries are the lack of charging infrastructure and high overall cost. Therefore, it is realized that such developing countries must introduce more schemes and incentives on infrastructural and operational costs to promote EV growth.