Urban Freight Drivers’ Symbolic Perceptions and Identity-Related Experiences of Electric Light Commercial Vehicles (E-LCVs): A Bengaluru Case Study

Urban freight plays a vital role in supporting India’s growing cities, which contribute over 58% of the national GDP. Bengaluru, a key logistics hub, faces increasing freight-related pollution, with freight vehicles accounting for nearly 50% of the city’s PM2.5 emissions. While E-LCV adoption is gaining attention, most studies focus on economic and technical factors, neglecting drivers’ symbolic and identity-based motivations. This study examines the association of symbolic perceptions, perceived social status, and reported motivations with freight drivers’ current E-LCV and ICE-LCV use in Bengaluru. A field survey of 112 drivers (54 E-LCV and 58 ICE-LCV) was conducted. The variables examined included pride, symbolic meaning, educational attainment, reported information sources, peer-related perceptions, and reported motivations. Because conventional maximum-likelihood logistic regression encountered complete or quasi-complete separation, Firth penalised logistic regression and bivariate comparative tests were used alongside descriptive analysis. Clear descriptive differences were observed between E-LCV and ICE-LCV drivers in perceived pride, social status, education profiles, media exposure, and reported motivations. Current E-LCV drivers reported substantially stronger pride and status-related perceptions associated with E-LCV use. However, given the cross-sectional design, these associations should not be interpreted as causal determinants of adoption. Differences were also observed in educational attainment and reported information sources between the two driver groups. The findings highlight the value of considering drivers as stakeholders with identity-related perceptions rather than solely as vehicle users. Understanding the social and symbolic meanings attached to E-LCVs may provide useful insights for future research and policy development concerning urban freight electrification. Recognising drivers not only as vehicle users but also as stakeholders with identity-related motivations may help inform more targeted policies and outreach strategies in cities such as Bengaluru.