The government is prioritising the development of a strong charging infrastructure, with a focus on integrating renewable energy sources to support the sustained growth of e-mobility, Union Minister for Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy said on Monday.
“In order to ensure continuous growth in e-mobility, our ministry is now focusing on charging infrastructure. While developing the charging infrastructure, we are conscious that integrating this infrastructure with renewable energy sources is essential for maximising the environmental benefits of electric mobility,” H D Kumaraswamy said during the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ (SIAM’s) 64th convention in New Delhi.
He urged the industry to collaborate and put forth dedicated efforts to help India achieve its sustainability goals while staying on track for growth.
“I assure you all that the government will keep introducing initiatives to make the business ecosystem more industry-friendly,” the minister said.
The government is placing significant emphasis on enhancing charging infrastructure under the highly anticipated FAME-III scheme. Business Standard recently reported that the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) is planning to invest around Rs 2,000 crore to boost charging infrastructure across the country.
Charging infrastructure development has been a key focus in the earlier phases of FAME.
Under FAME-I, the government sanctioned 520 charging stations, with 452 already installed, according to a 2021 statement by the MHI.
In FAME-II, the MHI allocated Rs 800 crore as capital subsidy to three Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) to set up 7,432 electric vehicle public charging stations (EVPCS), as per a 2024 reply in the Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH).
Additionally, the MHI set a target of installing 5,833 EV charging stations along highways, out of the total 7,432 planned through OMCs under the MoPNG. The ministry also sanctioned an additional Rs 73.50 crore under FAME-II to upgrade 980 low-capacity EV charging stations across the country.
As of February 2024, a statement from the Ministry of Power revealed that 12,146 public EV charging stations are operational nationwide.
While home charging currently meets most of the demand, there is a growing need for publicly accessible chargers to match the convenience of conventional vehicle refuelling. This is especially important in dense urban areas, where home charging may be limited, making public infrastructure crucial for widespread EV adoption. India has approximately 3 million registered electric vehicles, supported by around 12,000 charging stations. This translates to roughly 245 EVs per charging station.
Globally, public charging points have also seen substantial growth. According to the IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2023, there were 2.7 million public charging points worldwide by the end of 2022, with over 900,000 installed that year—an impressive 55 per cent increase over 2021.
First Published: Sep 10 2024 | 6:41 PM IST
