India has 52,718 public EV charging stations, over 16,500 equipped with fast chargers: Govt
New Delhi, July 21
India has made significant progress in expanding its electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with 52,718 public charging stations currently operational across the country, the Centre informed Parliament on Tuesday.
Of these, 16,561 are equipped with fast EV chargers for cars, helping reduce charging time and address one of the key concerns among EV users, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
According to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Centre has undertaken several initiatives to strengthen the EV ecosystem and encourage the adoption of electric mobility.
To expand charging infrastructure, the ministry has allocated Rs 912.50 crore under the FAME-II scheme and Rs 2,000 crore under the PM E-DRIVE scheme for setting up public EV charging stations across cities and national highways.
The government also pointed out that the Ministry of Power has issued the "Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure 2024", which lay down standards for creating a connected and interoperable charging network, including battery swapping and charging facilities. It added that establishing EV charging stations has been classified as an unlicensed activity, making it easier for private entrepreneurs to invest in charging infrastructure.
To support domestic manufacturing of electric vehicles, electric passenger cars have also been included under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components. Under the scheme, financial incentives ranging from 13 per cent to 18 per cent are being provided on incremental sales of Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) vehicles, including electric four-wheelers, to eligible manufacturers.
The Government said Rs 4,391 crore has been earmarked under the PM E-DRIVE scheme for the deployment of 14,028 electric buses.
Out of these, 13,800 buses have already been allocated to seven major cities -- Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Surat. The tender process for selecting operators for all 13,800 buses has been completed in two phases.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some real progress! The 16,561 fast chargers are a game-changer for long-distance travel. But I hope the government also focuses on making these stations accessible in rural areas and along highways. We can't just have EV adoption in cities only. 🌿
The unlicensed activity classification is a smart move—it will encourage more private players to set up stations. But we need to ensure interoperability so that one app doesn't work for one charger and another for a different one. That's a big hassle right now.
Impressive numbers but let's not forget about the power grid. With more EVs, we need to ensure the electricity supply can handle the load, especially during peak hours. Also, green energy sources should power these stations, not just coal-based power.
The PLI scheme for electric cars is great, but what about two-wheelers? Most Indians still can't afford a four-wheeler EV. Also, the battery swapping policy needs to be simplified—currently, it's a mess with different standards for different brands.
Electric buses in 7 major cities is a step in the right direction! I live in Pune and the air quality is terrible. More e-buses will definitely help. But they need to ensure these buses are actually reliable and have enough charging infrastructure at depots.
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