The road transport sector in India is on the cusp of a transition to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from internal combustion engines (ICEs). Government of India (GoI) has announced several policy measures to push the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). However, EVs involve a high capital cost but lower operating costs. Therefore, the economics of EVs vis-à-vis ICE vehicles depends on the extent of their daily use. The daily use, in turn, can vary significantly from context to context. In this paper, a model to compare the total cost of ownership (TCO) of an EV with different fuel variants (petrol, diesel, and compressed natural gas [CNG]) of their ICE counterparts is presented. It is found that, on an average, the TCO per km of electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws) and electric three-wheelers (e-3Ws) is less than their ICE counterparts at the typical average daily usage of the vehicles in Indian cities. In the case of hatchback and sedan cars, the TCO per km of electric cars (e-cars) is higher than their ICE counterparts. The TCO per km of electric bus (e-bus) is higher than diesel and CNG buses because of high initial purchase cost. Policymakers need to explore innovative business models and strategy for high vehicle utilization to improve the economic viability of EVs. Efficient planning of charging infrastructure and fast charging options will further help in accelerating the adoption of EVs in India.
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