Govt to install 6,000 EV charging stations across 9 expressways in India: MoS Pandey

The government is planning to install 6,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across nine expressways in the country, Minister of State for Heavy Industries Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey said on Saturday. He also asked the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to develop technology that reduces the charging time.

“Since charging is the main concern when it comes to the use of EVs, the government has chosen nine expressways where 6,000 charging stations have been sanctioned and about 3,000 will be installed soon. The advanced chemical cell (ACC), which is the main component of the EV battery, is currently imported. About 30% of the cost of the EV is the cost of the battery itself. This can be reduced if it is locally produced. This is possible because about 70% of the material used in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries is already available in India. With these newly-introduced PLI schemes, the government is providing support up to Rs 362 crore per gigawatt in the EVs sector,” Pandey said.

He stated that the sale of EVs in India has increased drastically in the last few months due to various schemes and subsidies provided by the government. He also spoke about the challenges in EV adoption, including the time taken for charging vehicles.

"To overcome one of these problems related to charging, I am going to urge the ARAI to develop the technology that reduces the charging time," the minister said.

Govt extends FAME scheme to support production of EVs

Pandey also highlighted that the government’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV) schemes I and II have been extended by another two years to 31 March 2024. 

“The production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme will lead to an investment of Rs 42,500 crore and will further accelerate manufacturing of components and batteries in India. The government is providing financial support up to 8-13% for auto component manufacturers and up to 13-18% for EV manufacturers through the scheme. This will also facilitate the creation of about 7.5 lakh new advanced-level employment opportunities,” he said.

Considering the increase in the usage of drones in the coming years for various applications, the ministry of heavy industries has sanctioned Rs 120 crore for research and other related work in this regard. Further, action for the same will be initiated by the ministry of civil aviation, Pandey said.

(With agency inputs)