The Government of India has taken several proactive steps to promote and expand public EV charging infrastructure across the country. The aim is to accelerate EV adoption, reduce carbon emissions & support sustainable mobility. In this article, Kazam brings important schemes & updates regarding the government’s decisions to enhance public EV charging infrastructure:

PM E-DRIVE Scheme:

The Government introduced the PM E-DRIVE scheme on October 1, 2024, as the successor of the FAME scheme. The scheme focusses on EV charging infrastructure with an ambitious plan to install 22,100 DC fast-charging stations for electric cars, 1800 high-capacity EV chargers for electric buses and 48,400 public EV chargers for electric two & three-wheelers.

Guidelines for EV Charging Infrastructure:

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) issued revised guidelines on 28th June, 2024. This is the 6th revision of the ‘Guidelines & Standards for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure’ document after it was first issued on 14th December, 2018. In the new amendment, operators have been given more flexibility in choosing chargers, and BEE was appointed as the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) to facilitate infrastructure installation.

The role of discoms in setting-up home/office charging was established. The new guidelines required one EV charging station per 3km x 3km grid in cities and one every 25km on highways, with fast chargers for heavy-duty EVs every 100km. This was the first document to acknowledge heavy duty charging requirements in India.

Go Electric campaign:

The ‘Go Electric’ campaign was launched by the Ministry of Power & the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on 19th February, 2021 to spread awareness on the benefits of electric mobility and EV charging infrastructure. An exhibition was organized during the launch event by industry players exhibiting different EVs including electric buses, electric cars, electric three-wheelers & electric two-wheelers. Also on display were EV charging solutions like fast EV chargers & slow EV chargers.

Under the Ministry of Power, BEE was designated as the central nodal agency to drive the campaign. It provided technical support to State Designated Agencies (SDAs) to ensure uniform messaging and execution at both national and state levels.

Role of public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) in EV charging infrastructure development:

Leveraging their extensive network of petrol pumps, strategic locations and operational expertise, government-owned oil companies have been tasked by the government to help develop EV charging infrastructure across the country.

India’s public sector oil companies made a significant leap in EV charging infrastructure development in FY24, adding over 7800 new EV charging stations. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) have collectively expanded their network to nearly 17,000 EV charging stations, with plans for continued growth in the coming years. Indian Oil led the charge by installing 3601 new EV stations in FY24, bringing its total to 10,028 stations, which now account for a major chunk of the country’s EV charging infrastructure.

BPCL installed 2443 new charging stations in FY24, bringing its total to over 3100. The company plans to significantly expand its fast-charging infrastructure along major highways, with a target of 7000 EV charging stations. It also launched the 'Highway Fast Charging Corridors' initiative, expanding its fast-charging network to 900 stations across 120 key routes. HPCL added 1773 EV charging facilities in FY24, including battery-swapping stations, bringing its total to 3603.

Conclusion:

These efforts collectively aim to create a widely accessible and sustainable EV charging network, addressing challenges like range anxiety & encouraging widespread EV adoption. By combining financial support, regulatory ease & private sector engagement, the Government of India is laying the groundwork for a robust electric mobility ecosystem.

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