Sustainable Mobility in Bengaluru: Assessing the Environmental Benefits of Electric Vehicles

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a cornerstone of sustainable urban mobility in Bengaluru, a city facing rapid motorization (over 11.2 million registered vehicles) and persistently high levels of air pollution. This study, Sustainable Mobility in Bengaluru: Assessing the Environmental Benefits of Electric Vehicles, evaluates how EV adoption influences urban air quality, greenhouse‑gas emissions, energy efficiency, and overall environmental quality in the city. Using a stratified survey of 350 Bengaluru residents—200 EV users, 100 prospective EV‑buyers, and 50 non‑EV users—along with secondary data from CSTEP and government‑sector studies, the paper estimates that an EV fleet share of 25–30% by 2030 could reduce cumulative CO₂ emissions by approximately 33 lakh tonnes over seven years compared with a fossil‑fuel‑dominated baseline. Results show that EVs can cut CO₂ emissions by 20–25%, NOₓ and PM₂.₅ by 15–30%, and urban noise levels by 3–6 dB, with even larger gains under renewable‑integrated charging. The study concludes that environmental awareness and perceived‑benefit constructs (β = 0.59, p < 0.001) explain 62.4% of EV‑adoption‑intention variance, moderated by cost and infrastructure barriers (β = ‑0.36), and recommends policy‑driven expansion of EVs, solar‑integrated charging, and sustainable transport planning to position Bengaluru as a model for low‑emission urban mobility by 2035.