In the last few years, the discussion about EV i.e. electric vehicles has gained momentum among new car buyers. Whenever there is a conversation between two people about a new car, it is common for EVs to be mentioned. Its effect was also seen on car sales in the last few months. The country’s leading automobile manufacturer Tata Motors has definitely become the leader of the EV segment with its largest electric vehicle portfolio. But last July, Tata also suffered a major setback. Apart from this, a survey has revealed the intentions of Indian electric vehicle owners and has raised a question mark on the future of EV in India.
What does the survey say:
First of all let’s talk about the survey. According to the survey conducted by Park+, a total of 51% of EV car owners in India want to use petrol or diesel vehicles. Let us tell you that Park+ provides parking solutions in residential and commercial premises in Indian cities. It has surveyed about 500 EV car owners in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
The survey report states that, on average, electric vehicle owners are less satisfied than traditional ICE (petrol-diesel) vehicle owners. For this he has blamed various types of everyday problems related to electric cars. In this, many aspects like charging infrastructure, maintenance, range anxiety, resale value and high price have been highlighted.
Charging became the biggest concern:
According to this report, maximum 88% people have expressed concern regarding the facility of charging the car. This problem has gone beyond range anxiety. Which has traditionally been a matter of significant concern. Despite the presence of more than 20,000 EV charging stations across the country, respondents to this survey expressed disappointment with the accessibility and transparency of these charging stations. Most people say that finding a safe and active charging station remains a big challenge. Even if most of the vehicle owners or drivers are traveling inter-city.
Maintenance of Electric Cars:
Leading EV car companies have also been continuously claiming that electric cars have fewer components than any petrol-diesel vehicle. Due to which wear-tear is reduced and maintenance is easy. But this survey claims that about 73% of electric car owners have described maintenance as a major problem. According to them, their electric vehicles often feel like “a black box”, which is difficult to understand. The biggest thing is that the local mechanics are unable to solve minor problems. Many electric car owners have also expressed disappointment over the lack of repair shop options and lack of a clear picture regarding maintenance costs.
Resale Value:
The resale value of electric vehicles has also emerged as a big problem during this survey. About 33% people responded that when they checked the resale value of their existing electric car, they were offered a much lower amount than expected. It is believed that as the EV ecosystem improves, the resale value may also increase.
The resale value of other petrol-diesel vehicles can be easily calculated based on their make-model, mileage or running period. But this is not the case with electric vehicles, because not everyone is familiar with EVs and it is a bit difficult to determine their resale value based on their battery life. The cost of the battery of any EV is approximately 40% of the total price of the vehicle.
Nexon EV first choice:
It has also been said in this survey report that Tata’s Nexon EV is most famous among the people. Around 61% people have voted for this SUV while around 19% people have voted for Tata Punch EV as the second choice. Apart from this, other models available in the market have been selected.
Leader’s pace slowed down:
Let us tell you that in the April-June quarter, there has been a decline of 7% year-on-year in the sales of electric cars. At the same time, the sales of Tata Motors, which is called the leader of the EV segment, has fallen by 21% in last July. The company sold a total of 5,027 electric cars in the domestic market in July. Which is almost much less than the 6,329 units sold in July last year. Tata’s portfolio includes many models including Nexon EV, Punch EV, Tiago EV, Tigor EV. Apart from this, Tata is also going to launch Curvv EV as its new electric car in this August.