Assessment of North Delhi People’s Electric Vehicle Purchase Intent through Consumer Behavior and Technology Adoption Theory

The transportation sector of India is a significant consumer of energy, accounting for over 18% of total energy consumption, which equates to 94 million tons of oil equivalent (MTOE). This contributes to heightened air pollution concerns, especially in densely populated cities such as Hyderabad and Delhi. Despite government initiatives such as FAME-I and FAME-II, the current scenario reflects only a modest 2% adoption rate of electric vehicles (EVs). As a result, understanding consumer perceptions, particularly in highly populated urban areas, is crucial. Applying a non-probabilistic–hypothetic deductive research method, this article examined the purchase intent of 403 respondents in North Delhi based on EV attributes and consumers’ attitudes. The study revealed a positive influence of attributes on attitude (r = 0.386; p < 0.001; t = 5.9256; standardized B = 0.205, R² = 0.149), as well as attitude on intent (r = 0.327; p < 0.001; t = 5.003; standardized B = 2.141; R² = 0.107), while no significant influence was found between attributes and intent (r = −0.063; p = 0.360; t = 0.918). Additionally, the study suggested that EVs are in the early stages of the DOI process, with 36.2% showing a positive attitude toward EVs, guaranteeing a 100% purchase as their next car. While this study can be used as a reference for policymakers, further investigation in different regions worldwide, as well as the consideration of different metrics to evaluate attributes and attitudes for the evaluation of intent, would offer a deeper understanding of this field.