India’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are essential for boosting the adoption of electric vehicles, as they address range anxiety and offer opportunities for charging outside the home. However, the current state of public EV charging in India faces major challenges. Although India has over 12,000 public charging stations, many suffer from reliability issues due to outdated technology, lack of maintenance, and insufficient incentives for upkeep.
The rollout of public charging infrastructure began in 2015 under the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) policy, with the installation of Bharat-001 chargers. However, these have become obsolete as newer charging standards like CCS2 are now favored by most modern EVs. The outdated Bharat-001 and CHAdeMO chargers, in addition to low utilization, have led to many stations falling into disrepair.
A recent IEEFA study in Delhi, which has the most charging stations in the country, found that nearly 84% of stations across the city were non-functional. Problems include missing charging connectors, broken screens, and lack of power supply. Additionally, charging spaces are often blocked by internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, and online information about charger functionality is frequently inaccurate.
Despite these challenges, the government has begun efforts to upgrade the infrastructure. For example, a tender was issued in March 2024 to improve the operation, maintenance, and management of public EV charging stations in Delhi. The report recommends expanding these efforts nationwide, upgrading all Bharat-001 and CHAdeMO charge points to CCS2 standards, and introducing incentives for consistent uptime. Furthermore, it suggests that the government lease charging sites to private operators, who can manage them more efficiently, and implement national regulations to monitor and ensure the reliability of public charging stations.
While India has made progress in setting up public EV charging stations, significant upgrades are needed to make these stations more reliable and usable. The right mix of updated technology, private sector involvement, and government incentives can help overcome the current hurdles.
