16.15 lakh EVs incentivised under FAME-II scheme: Centre

A total of 16.15 lakh electric vehicles (EVs) have been incentivised under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India)-II scheme, the government said on Thursday.

It includes 14.27 lakh electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws), 1.59 lakh e-3Ws, 22,548 e-4Ws and 5,131 e-buses.

Additionally, 10,985 EV public charging stations (PCS) have been sanctioned, with 8,812 allocated for installation.

As of October 31, 2024, a total of Rs 8,844 crore has been spent, including Rs 6,577 crore for subsidies, Rs 2,244 crore for capital assets, and Rs 23 crore for other expenses, according to Ministry of Heavy Industries.

The scheme includes a phased manufacturing program and has supported significant policy initiatives, such as reducing GST on EVs and enabling state EV policies, contributing to India's transition to sustainable mobility.

The first phase of the scheme was initially approved for a period of two years, commencing from April 1, 2015.

After successful implementation of the scheme, the second phase -- FAME-II -- was launched in 2019 with an outlay of Rs 11,500 crore to provide incentives for electric vehicles, including two, three, four wheelers, electric buses and EV public charging stations.

Overall, as many as 25,202 public charging stations for EVs have been installed in the country to date. Karnataka leads with 5,765 EV public charging stations, followed by Maharashtra at 3,728 and Uttar Pradesh at 1,989.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries has been promoting the adoption of EVs in India. On September 29, 2024, the ministry notified the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle

Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme to accelerate EV adoption, establish charging infrastructure and foster the development of the EV manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

The scheme has a budget of Rs 10,900 crore for a two-year period. Of the total allocated budget, Rs 2,000 crore has been kept for the installation of EV public charging stations (EVPCS).