The government is prioritising the development of a strong charging infrastructure, with a focus on integrating renewable energy sources to support sustained growth in e-mobility, Union Minister for Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy said on Monday.
“To ensure continued growth of electric mobility, our ministry is now focusing on charging infrastructure. While developing charging infrastructure, we are conscious that integration of this infrastructure with renewable energy sources is essential to maximise the environmental benefits of electric mobility,” said HD Kumaraswamy during the 64th convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) in New Delhi.
He urged the industry to collaborate and make dedicated efforts to help India achieve its sustainability goals while staying on the path of growth.
“I assure everyone that the government will continue to introduce initiatives to make the business ecosystem more industry-friendly,” the minister said.
The government is laying a strong emphasis on improving charging infrastructure under the much-awaited 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.
The development of charging infrastructure has been a key focus in the early phases of FAME.
Under FAME-I, the government has authorized 520 charging stations, of which 452 have already been installed, according to a 2021 statement by the MHI.
Under 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) for setting up 7,432 electric vehicle charging stations (EVPCS) in public, as per a 2024 reply in the Rajya Sabha by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
Additionally, the Ministry of Health has set a target of installing 5,833 EV charging stations along highways out of a total of 7,432 planned through OMCs under the MoPNG. The ministry has also approved an additional Rs 73.50 crore under FAME-II for upgrading 980 low capacity EV charging stations across the country.
As of February 2024, a statement from the Ministry of Energy revealed that 12,146 public electric vehicle charging stations are operational across the country.
While home charging currently meets the majority of demand, there is a growing need for publicly accessible chargers that match the convenience of refueling conventional vehicles. This is especially important in dense urban areas, where home charging can be limited, making public infrastructure crucial for widespread EV adoption. India has approximately 3 million registered EVs, supported by around 12,000 charging stations. This translates to approximately 245 EVs per charging station.
Globally, public charging points have also seen substantial growth. According to the IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2023 report, there were 2.7 million public charging points worldwide by the end of 2022, of which more than 900,000 had been installed that year – an impressive 55% increase from 2021.
First published: September 10, 2024 | 18:41 IS
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