New Delhi: The Ministry of Heavy Industries is pushing forward with its efforts to promote electric vehicles (EVs) in India, and hence, working in that direction, it is increasing the public charging infrastructure. According to information provided by the Ministry of Power, as of February 2, there are a total of 12,146 operational public EV charging stations across the country. Maharashtra, according to the ministry’s data, has over 3000 charging stations and is far ahead of any other city in comparison. Delhi is second, with around 1900 chargers setup.

Further, as part of the Center's ‘GO ELECTRIC’ campaign, the Ministry of Power has introduced various measures to accelerate the deployment of public EV charging stations nationwide. These include guidelines and standards issued in January 2022 and following amendments, which enable EV owners to charge their vehicles at home or work using existing electricity connections. 

Goverment's Revenue model for Income from Charging Stations

The guidelines also provide the directives for a revenue-sharing model, including providing land at discounted rates for public charging stations and ensuring timely electricity connections.

According to the available reports, to make charging more affordable, the ministry has set a limit on electricity tariffs for public charging stations. For slow AC charging, the tariff is limited to Rs 2.50 per unit during solar hours and Rs 3.50 per unit during non-solar hours. For DC fast charging, the limits are Rs 10 per unit during solar hours and Rs 12 per unit during non-solar hours. Additionally, there are rebates and surcharges based on the average cost of supply by DISCOMs.

Karnataka Leads in South 

Additionally, the data states that in the distribution of the EV charging station After Maharashtra and Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala are seeing growth in infrastructure development to promote the EV culture. Among the Southern States, Karnataka has the highest, with over 1000 charging stations. However, efforts are ongoing to further expand the charging network to ensure broader accessibility and convenience for EV users across all regions.