72,000 New EV Charging Stations Planned
In order to push electric mobility in India, the Government of India has announced a new scheme. Under the new PM E-Drive scheme, which is being overlooked by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, a total of 72,000 public charging stations across the country have been planned. The government has allocated Rs 2,000 crore for this initiative, and the aim with this scheme is to facilitate current and future EV owners with clean, affordable, and convenient charging solutions.
PM E-Drive scheme: Details
Recently, the Ministry of Heavy Industries, which is headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy, held an interministerial meeting with officials from other ministries, including Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. This meeting was organised to review and accelerate the implementation of EV charging infrastructure under the PM E-Drive scheme.
With the Rs 2,000 crore that has been allocated by the Central Government of India, 72,000 new charging stations will be installed across India. Presently, it has been reported that these chargers will be strategically installed at 50 national highway corridors and metro cities where there is a concentration of electric vehicles.
Additionally, these chargers will also be installed at toll plazas, railway stations, airports, fuel outlets, and state highways. It has also been mentioned that the agency which will be given the responsibility for the installation will be Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). The agency will be responsible for the aggregation of demand for charging stations.
BHEL will also coordinate with the state governments and ministries to compile and assess proposals for installations. On top of these, BHEL will also develop a unified digital super app for EV users. This app will help users with real-time slot booking for charging, payment integration, checking live availability status, and there will be dashboards to monitor national deployment progress.
While addressing the interministerial meeting, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Union Minister of Heavy Industries, stated, “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is on the path to becoming a global model for sustainable transport. The PM E-Drive scheme is a transformative initiative aimed at giving our citizens access to clean, affordable, and convenient mobility options. We are not just building infrastructure; we are building the foundation for energy security and green economic growth.”
He added, “The clean energy transition cannot succeed in silos. This meeting reflects our commitment to working as one government. Ministries, public sector enterprises, and states are all aligned to deliver results on the ground. We are confident that PM E-Drive will catalyse new industries, generate green jobs, and offer seamless electric mobility to every Indian.”
Will this initiative help in pushing electric mobility?
The PM E-Drive will definitely help in increasing the popularity of electric vehicles amongst mass market car buyers. Currently, a lot of people hesitate to buy an electric vehicle due to the lack of appropriate and accessible charging infrastructure. With these new 72,000 charging stations getting installed in densely populated areas, more buyers will get the push to opt for electric cars.
As a result of this initiative, more automakers will also offer affordable electric vehicles. Presently, most of the top automakers in the country already offer electric vehicles in their portfolio, and a lot more manufacturers are about to launch new electric cars in the country.