Govt. Launches ₹2,000 Crore Initiative to Expand EV Charging Under PM E-DRIVE

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has released operational guidelines for the deployment of public EV charging stations under the ₹10,900-crore PM E-DRIVE scheme, designed to accelerate India’s transition to electric mobility. Under the scheme, ₹2,000 crore has been allocated for establishing EV charging infrastructure across cities and highways, with subsidies of up to 100% for select categories to promote rapid rollout.

Government offices, hospitals, educational institutions, and CPSE premises will receive full subsidies for both infrastructure and chargers. Key locations such as airports, railway stations, state-run fuel outlets, metro stations, and bus depots will get an 80% subsidy on infrastructure and 70% on charging equipment. Malls, markets, and other private sites can claim an 80% subsidy on infrastructure costs. Battery swapping and charging stations are also eligible for an 80% subsidy.

Deployment will be prioritised in cities with populations over one million, state capitals, smart cities, and National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) cities, as well as on high-traffic highways connecting major industrial hubs and ports.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has been appointed as the Project Implementation Agency, with IFCI serving as the Project Management Agency. BHEL will also develop a National Unified Hub and mobile app to integrate EV chargers, providing features such as charger discovery, real-time updates, slot booking, and payment facilities.

Subsidies will be disbursed in two phases: 70% at the procurement stage and the remaining 30% after commissioning and integration with the Unified Hub. Charging standards have been set at up to 12 kW for two- and three-wheelers, and 50 kW to 500 kW fast chargers for cars, buses, and trucks.

The initiative aims to tackle one of the key hurdles in EV adoption—the availability of reliable charging infrastructure, while giving a significant push to India’s green mobility goals.

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