A systems approach to understand barriers to adoption of battery operated electric vehicle (BOEV) in India using ISM and MICMAC analysis

Vehicles running on fossil fuels contribute significantly to air pollution causing a strong argument for switching to battery-operated electric vehicles (BOEVs) amidst growing environmental concerns. The adoption of BOEVs has not advanced at the anticipated rate despite numerous initiatives by Indian government to promote electric mobility. This clearly suggests the existence of multiple underlying barriers influencing consumer acceptance. Acknowledging this gap, the current study goes beyond simply enumerating these obstacles and aims to conduct an organized analysis of their relationships and relative influence. The study identifies 20 major obstacles preventing the adoption of BOEVs in India, based on feedback from the researcher and a panel of subject-matter experts. In order to create a hierarchical framework that explains how some barriers motivate or impact others, these barriers are methodically examined using interpretive structural modelling (ISM). A distinct multi-level structure is revealed by the ISM results, showing that certain barriers are more fundamental than others. The study concludes that the ‘lack of standardized charging infrastructure’ is the most significant and important barrier, because of its strong impact on several other barriers. MICMAC analysis was performed to group the barriers on the basis of their driving power and dependence power into four clusters to further validate the relationship. This grouping further helps to understand the interrelationships of the barriers and identify the different characteristics of the barriers. Thus, the study outcomes may provide a useful framework for the stakeholders in addressing the hindrance to adoption of BOEVs. It also provides a clue on which barrier to stress more in comparison to other barriers and hence create a better strategic action plan to help India move towards a cleaner, pollution-free environment.