Exploring the Barriers to Consumer Adoption and Applications of Electric Vehicles: Ghana’s Experience

Abstract

Electric mobility is gradually becoming popular in developing countries, with the potential to unlock investment opportunities and innovation for clean, safe and sustainable urban transport. However, empirical evidence on possible barriers which could frustrate the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is lacking. This paper aims to fill the void by examining key barriers to ubiquitous EV uptake. We generated primary data through interviews among potential adopters as part of a broader EV consumer preference survey in Ghana. Results from our thematic analyses of the data identified 22 key barriers, which are sub-summed under five major categories, including social, technical, economic, policy, and infrastructural. The results further indicate that initial high purchase cost, limited driving range and general lack of supporting infrastructure are the three topmost barriers to EV adoption in Ghana. The implications of the findings and strategies to promote EV uptake among the Ghanaian populace and the national government are discussed.