It is estimated that Maharashtra will have 2,19,345 electric vehicles (EVs) On-Road by 2025 and 12,08,704 EVs by 2030. The chargers needed for these EVs would be 21,096 by 2025 and 1,41,988 by 2030.
Mumbai is one of the most vulnerable cities to the hazards of climate change. The Government of Maharashtra is currently drafting Mumbai’s Climate Action Plan (in collaboration with WRI India) to set and implement tangible emission reduction targets for the city. The state government has also laid emphasis on the adoption of zero-tailpipe-emission vehicles, especially in heavily polluted urban areas like Mumbai.
The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is instrumental in meeting a plethora of sustainability goals. An accessible and robust network of charging infrastructure will be pivotal in facilitating Mumbai’s transition to electric mobility. WRI India is supporting the city of Mumbai to effectively plan and roll out EV charging infrastructure. A geospatial analysis have been undertaken to map the distribution of EV charging demand across the city at a granular level. The analysis supports location planning of public charging infrastructure and aims to maximize access and utilization of charging facilities while minimizing their implementation cost.
Maharashtra was one of the first states to implement an EV policy and after its renewal in 2021, it is among the most ambitious policies in the country. As of December 2021, the state recorded over 24,000 EV registrations in FY 2022 so far – a massive 157% year-on-year rise. Mumbai specifically has also demonstrated a discernible shift towards e-mobility with a 112% rise in EV registrations in the same period.
Maharashtra’s electric vehicle policy aims to achieve a 10% share of EVs in new vehicle registrations by 2025. The state’s EV policy also includes a city-specific charging infrastructure development plan that aims to cater to the projected levels of EV penetration in 2025. Maharashtra’s EV policy mandates the setting up of at least one public charging station every 3×3 km. grid. It is, therefore, crucial to acknowledge the critical need for suitable infrastructure and customize it to meet unique city-specific parameters. Simultaneously, it is also vital to build capacity among stakeholders and integrate the transition with distribution companies (DISCOMs) and the state’s transport ecosystem.
Given the meteoric rise in the number of EVs expected over the next decade, it is pertinent to devise and implement a comprehensive plan for the fuel of EVs – charging infrastructure. Maharashtra’s EV policy targets setting up at least 1,500 charging stations in the state by 2025. In establishing a public EV charging network, it is important to understand where the demand for public charging will arise. Spatial distribution of parameters such as population densities, traffic volumes, and commercial and institutional/workplace clusters can help predict the charging demand in different parts of the city. This, in turn, helps authorities or charge point operators in deciding the number of chargers required in a given area.
It is estimated that EV charging demand at a localized level for Mumbai. Several spatial parameters are considered like income, public amenities (like bus stops, railway stations), points of interest (shopping malls, eateries, etc.) and population density utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) platforms to project public EV charging demand.
While mapping of demand clusters in the city is a crucial step, several other mechanisms incorporated into Mumbai’s EV charging infrastructure policy would catalyze its effective rollout. Some key recommendations for the implementation of the EV charging policy would be constituting a steering committee to facilitate implementation and address major impediments, encouraging public-private partnerships, announcing fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, increasing consumer awareness through promotional activities, amending Development Control Regulation and promoting solar generation to meet the energy requirements.
Key elements for the rollout of an effective EV, charging policy are highlighted below.
- Financial mechanisms for charging infrastructure.
- Comprehensive EV charging roadmap
- Universal charging standards
- Policy implementation
- Renewable energy for EV charging
- Steering committee for promotion of charging infrastructure
- Financial and non-financial incentives
- Public-private partnerships.
Key findings:
- Vehicular movement is typically higher in areas with high population density
- Public amenities are a proxy for high traffic volumes – indicating higher activity along corridors with numerous amenities
- Movement of taxi fleets and urban freight is high along public transit networks. Park-and-go facilities around these amenities also attract private vehicles
- Areas with a significant number of workplace locations witness high private vehicle activity, pick-up and drop services and freight movement
The total EV charging energy demand of the city in 2025 is expected to be 550 MW. The total EV charging energy demand of the city in 2030 is expected to be 3,416 MW.
