India Expands Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure with Over 29,000 Stations

Significant Growth in EV Charging Stations

New Delhi, Dec 16: The Indian Parliament was informed on Tuesday that the nation now boasts a total of 29,151 electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS).

Among these, there are 8,805 fast charging stations and 20,346 slow charging stations, as stated by Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries, in a written response to the Lok Sabha.

An allocation of ₹2,000 crore has been designated under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme to enhance EV charging infrastructure across the country.

The second phase of the FAME India scheme is set to run for five years, concluding on March 31, 2024, with a budget of ₹11,500 crore.

Under this initiative, a total of 1,671,606 electric vehicles have been sold, and 6,862 e-buses have received approval.

Additionally, three oil marketing companies have established 8,932 EV Public Charging Stations (EVPCS), according to the minister.

The PM E-DRIVE Scheme, which has a budget of ₹10,900 crore, will commence on April 1, 2024, and aims to support various electric vehicles, including e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-Trucks, e-buses, and e-Ambulances, along with the development of EV public charging stations and the enhancement of testing agencies.

Setting up electric vehicle charging stations is an unregulated activity, allowing private entrepreneurs to engage in this sector as per the guidelines from the Ministry of Power.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Heavy Industries oversees the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme known as the 'National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage,' which was approved in May 2021 with a total budget of ₹18,100 crore to create 50 GWh of domestic manufacturing capacity for Advanced Chemistry Cells.

In addition to the PLI ACC scheme, at least ten manufacturers have announced plans for a combined capacity of approximately 178 GWh in the country over the next five years.

The Union Cabinet has also sanctioned a scheme to encourage the production of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnet (REPM) with a financial commitment of ₹7,280 crore to establish an integrated manufacturing capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) in the country.