View | To buy or not to buy an EV? Here are the pros and cons

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While electric vehicles are perfect for short-distance city travel, many are unsure whether a switch will really help when it comes to clean mobility.

Updated on: Sep 10, 2025 7:32 AM IST

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If you’re anything like me, still perched on the fence, wavering between ICE and an electric car, read on.

The real hurdle for EV adoption in India is the patchy charging infrastructure, Manisha Natarajan says. (HT)

The reasons I have been dithering are largely common. Many of us are not sure whether a switch will really help the environment when the EV charging power still comes from coal generated electricity, and the batteries eventually pile up in landfills. We are also unsure whether electric cars are city-friendly or you can count on them for long drives. And do you really need a home charger before buying, or is public charging good enough? Last but not least: Are they more expensive or cheaper, once you balance the higher upfront price with lower running costs?

Here are the key takeaways from my conversation with two credible voices—OP Agarwal, architect of India’s National Urban Transport Policy and World Bank advisor, and Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor, Autocar, hugely respected for his straight talk.

Cleaner lungs today, lower carbon tomorrow

Should we bother switching to EVs when most of our charging electricity still comes from thermal power? Yes, say the experts. EVs instantly cut local pollution with zero tailpipe emissions, and that matters in a country where cities like Delhi NCR turn into a public health emergency every winter. Cars aren’t the biggest culprits when it comes to air pollution, but every switch to cleaner tech helps.

The CO₂ benefits will only grow as India ramps up renewables, but the immediate win is cleaner air and fewer health risks. That alone makes the shift to EVs compelling.

Wallet or planet? The economics of EVs

We all care about savings. The good news: the GST on EVs hasn’t changed. It’s still at a concessional 5%, plus you get subsidies like FAME-II (up to ₹1.5 lakh) and state perks such as road tax and registration waivers. However, ICE cars just got cheaper. Thanks to GST cuts, automakers say prices will drop by ₹1.5-2 lakh, with small petrol/diesel cars now taxed at 18% without cess. That means the upfront price gap, which EVs had managed to close, has widened again, tipping the balance slightly in favour of ICE cars.

But here’s where EVs still win hands down: running costs. Home charging works out to about ₹1-2 per km, compared to ₹7-9 per km for petrol cars. Over time and depending on how much you use your car annually, that difference adds up fast.

The sticking point is no longer the price of an EV. Rather, it’s the resale value, says Sorabjee. Right now, there’s almost no resale market for EVs in India. That could change as the market matures and battery tech stabilises. But it’s a risk you need to factor in.

Superior driving experience

In the city, they are simply the best cars to drive. Sorabjee says a Nexon EV feels like a far better vehicle than even a Mercedes S-Class! The smoothness, the instant torque, and the linearity of the latest EV models are just effortless. Once you’ve driven an EV, you’re hooked. Going back to an ICE car feels almost impossible, purely from a driving experience point of view. Mechanically, EVs are simpler and more reliable.

Range anxiety and long-distance travel

EVs undoubtedly shine as city cars: if your daily run is ~50-70 km, they are perfect, with low running cost, noiseless and no tailpipe emissions. The latest models can handle a Mumbai- Pune round trip of about 350 km with ease. Beyond that, you need to plan, map charging points on your app, and even then, you may often encounter a non-functioning charger. For now, both experts agree: if you have plans to drive long distances, electric cars are best avoided.

The big gap — charging infrastructure

Home charging is the real game-changer. But with only 12% of car owners in India estimated to have assigned parking, home charging is out of reach for most. Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) often make matters worse, disallowing installations, unsure about the sanctioned electricity load. For now, the majority of EV users rely on public charging, but stations remain patchy and unreliable.

Public charging needs a rethink. Oil companies could easily turn their forecourts into EV-friendly hubs. An attendant plugging in your car and swiping your card, just like petrol, would take away much of the pain, says Sorabjee.

Agarwal points out that battery swapping could also change the game. Drop off a drained battery, pick up a fully charged one, and drive off in minutes. It is as quick as filling petrol and avoids the long waits of conventional charging. This is the direction the industry must head in.

Battery landfills: Are EVs trading one pollution for another?

Sorabjee is candid: battery recycling is a worry. Long-term landfilling cannot be brushed aside. It is a trade-off. Steadily, recycling and second-life solutions are evolving. It is worth remembering that the planet’s biggest existential threat remains CO₂ from fossil fuels. Which is why the shift to EVs, along with stronger battery lifecycle management, is not optional but essential.

Final thoughts

If most of your driving is in the city and you have a reliable charger at home or work, a switch to an EV is a no-brainer. The drive is smoother, cleaner and simply better. Going electric cuts air pollution and puts us on a sustainable path.

The real hurdle is the patchy charging infrastructure. Private companies are already working towards improving it. The government can do its bit by mandating every housing, office and commercial complex to install fast chargers. A small tweak in building bylaws for upcoming projects could massively speed up adoption.

Manisha Natarajan is a well-known editorial voice in real estate and sustainable built environment.