12,146 public EV charging stations operational across the country: Ministry of Heavy Industries

As of February 2, there are 12,146 public EV charging stations that are operational nationwide, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) on Tuesday, February 6.

According to the provided data, the state of Maharashtra has the highest number of charging stations, with 3079 charging points, followed by Delhi with 1886. It also mentioned that under the FAME-II Scheme, 148 charging stations have been commissioned, out of which 53 are in the state of Gujarat, followed by Kerala with 30.

MHI also stated that the initiatives and subsidies provided by the Ministry of Power have also enabled them to set up public charging infrastructure.

The Ministry of Power had earlier issued 'Guidelines & Standards for Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles' in January 2022, which was amended in November 2022 and April 2023, and enabled EV users to charge their vehicles at their residences and offices.

They also provided electricity connections to the Public Charging Station (PCS) within a particular timeline and provided electricity at Rs 2.50 per unit and Rs 3.50 per unit for slow AC charging during the solar and non-solar hours, respectively, and Rs 10 per unit and Rs 12 per unit of electricity for DC fast charging at PCS during the solar and non-solar hours, respectively.

The release provided data from NITI Aayog stating that the amount of infrastructure needed for charging electric cars is subject to several factors, such as the make-up of EVs, their usage patterns, geographic location, topography, and urbanisation trends, as well as the technology of both the EVs and the charging apparatus. 

It added that since these elements always change, there is no universal agreement on the number of charging stations needed to accommodate a certain quantity of electric vehicles. 

Depending on the above-mentioned variables, the need is deemed 'dynamic' and can vary widely from 1 charging station per 20 EVs to 1 charging point every 150 EVs.

The data was shared in a written response to the Lok Sabha by Krishan Pal Gurjar, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries.

Charging stations commissioned under FAME India Scheme Phase-II, State-wise

State-wise operational Public EV charging stations