India's EV charging station count rises to 12,146, Maharashtra leads, Delhi second

Minister of State for Heavy Industries Krishna Pal Gurjar said that till February 2 this year, the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations operating in the country has increased to 12,146. He said this in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

Data provided by the minister shows that Maharashtra leads with 3,079 EV charging stations, followed by Delhi with 1,886 stations, while Karnataka is at third with 1,041 charging stations.

The top three states in the top 10 list are: Kerala (852), Tamil Nadu (643), Uttar Pradesh (582), Rajasthan (500), Telangana (481), Gujarat (476) and Madhya Pradesh (341).

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) is making continuous efforts to facilitate the promotion of EVs in India. The minister said the FAME-III scheme inter alia includes financial assistance in the form of subsidy for setting up public charging infrastructure to build confidence among EV users.

Additionally, the Power Ministry has taken several initiatives to accelerate the deployment of public EV charging infrastructure in the country.

The government has issued guidelines and standards for charging infrastructure, enabling EV owners to charge their vehicles at their residence/office using their existing electricity connection.

A revenue sharing model has also been introduced for provision of land at promotional rates for public charging stations and provision for providing power connections to public charging stations (PCS) within the stipulated timelines.

The government has also prescribed single part EV tariff for public charging stations, the amount cannot exceed the Average Cost of Supply (ACOS) till 31.03.2025.

The guidelines specify limits on electricity used for slow AC charging of EVs at PCS during solar and non-solar hours at Rs 2.50 per unit and Rs 3.50 per unit, respectively.

Additionally, a ceiling of Rs 10 per unit and Rs 12 per unit of electricity used for DC fast charging of EVs on PCS during solar and non-solar hours respectively has also been specified.

There will be a rebate of 20 per cent on Average Cost of Supply (ACOS) to PCS by Discoms during solar hours and a surcharge of 20 per cent during all other hours.

The Minister said that the Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022 have been notified with the objective of further accelerating the adoption of renewable energy, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and green energy for all.