India now has 25,202 public charging stations for EVs: Minister

New Delhi: As many as 25,202 public charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) have been installed in the country to date, the government said on Friday.

Karnataka leads with 5,765 EV public charging stations, followed by Maharashtra at 3,728 and Uttar Pradesh at 1,989, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

As per the information received from the Ministry of Power, 271 EV public charging stations are installed in Chhattisgarh.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has been promoting the adoption of EVs in India. On September 29, 2024, the ministry notified the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme to accelerate EV adoption, establish charging infrastructure and foster the development of the EV manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

The scheme has a budget of Rs 10,900 crore for a two-year period. Of the total allocated budget, Rs 2,000 crore has been kept for the installation of EV public charging stations (EVPCS).

The Ministry of Power also issued "Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024" on September 17, outlining standards and protocols to create connected & interoperable EV charging infrastructure networks in the country.

Charging infrastructure requirements depend upon the composition of electric vehicles, running patterns, terrain & geography, urbanisation patterns, the technology of EVs and the technology of charging equipment.

"Since all these factors are still evolving, there is no global consensus on the number of charging points required for a certain number of EVs," the minister said.

As per the Vahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the total registered electric two-wheelers in the country now stands at 28,55,015, with electric four-wheelers at 2,57,169 (as on December 4).

Meanwhile, the EV charging market in the country is projected to reach $3.7 billion by 2030, led by increasing adoption. Battery swapping, particularly for two- and three-wheelers, is emerging as a popular solution in India, with major auto companies investing in battery-swapping technologies to make EVs more affordable and accessible.