Psychological Drivers of Electric Vehicle Adoption in India’s Sustainable Mobility Transition

The shift to electric vehicles (EVs) is a key pillar in achieving sustainable mobility solutions worldwide, but progress is uneven, especially in emerging urban settings. Beyond technological readiness and infrastructure availability, consumer perceptions, social influence, and psychological dispositions play important roles in determining the willingness to adopt EVs. This study investigates the psychological and perceptual factors that determine the willingness to purchase EVs in the urban Indian context and adds to a broader understanding of the socio-technical aspects of sustainable mobility transition. Using survey data from commuters in Kolkata, 20 perception-based indicators were synthesised into latent behavioural constructs via Principal Component Analysis. These constructs, along with socio-demographic attributes, were incorporated into a non-linear machine learning framework to forecast EV purchase willingness. Model transparency was ensured through explainable AI techniques, enabling interpretation of the relative impact and direction of the behavioural factors. Results show that trust in technology and social influence are the strongest factors in motivating the EV purchase willingness, while perceived financial risk is the biggest barrier. Environmental attitudes and perceived usability have positive but secondary roles. These findings reveal the multidimensional and social nature of EV adoption decisions, and the importance of trust-building, social visibility, and targeted financial interventions to accelerate adoption. By combining behavioural science with data-driven modelling, this research advances interdisciplinary thinking about EV adoption and offers actionable insights for policy-makers, planners, and industry stakeholders to enable a just and sustainable transition to EV in rapidly urbanising regions.