An increasing number of Indian customers are willing to buy electric vehicles of late, the government has been making a determined push towards electric mobility. The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari recently asked the EV manufacturing industry to shift towards indigenous battery technologies while assuring the industry that the government will provide all possible assistance. This is a clear indication of the Government’s intention to promote the EV industry, with self-reliance at the core. The OEMs have already introduced several EV 4-wheeler models in the market. At present, EVs contribute less than 1% of total vehicles sold, but has the potential to scale up to 5% within a few years. In 2019-20, about 3.8 lakh electric vehicles were sold in India of which 58% were low-speed E3W and 40% E2W, according to a CarDekho OMG survey. CarDekho, the auto-tech firm, today released the Electric Vehicle Customer Awareness Study in association with OMG.According to the survey, 66% of customers are willing to buy electric vehicles, out of which 53% said they were strongly inclined to go electric. Among those surveyed, 13% are not yet ready for the transformation whereas 19% decline to go either way.Further, 68% of the customers showed their concern towards the environment and believe switching to EVs will help reduce air pollution, whereas 11% & 6% of respondents considered driving pleasure and lower maintenance cost as the main reason for considering a shift to EVs.The unique opportunity created by the EV segment also comes with a few challenges. 43%of respondents stated that frequent recharging will be a big concern, 20% raised concerns on the reliability of EVs during long drives/ inter-city travel, while 16% considered inadequate infrastructure (charging stations) a bigger hurdle. Nearly 12%of those surveyed said that pricing was an important consideration.Respondents suggested manufacturers offer a full list of service stations in any city, accessories for easy and fast home-charging, and an extended service warranty assurance for the car.The survey was conducted across India among potential 4W vehicle buyers. Almost 40% of the respondents own an SUV and 29% own a hatchback, followed by 25% owning sedans.