BS EDIT: Charge of the EV Brigade: Challenges on the Road Ahead

By Business StandardPublished On Dec 20, 2024

India’s EV Market: Slow Yet Promising

Electric passenger vehicles account for 2% of India’s market in FY24, rising to 3% by FY25. Yet, carmakers plan 15–20 EV launches in 2025

The Infrastructure Gap

India has 12,000 EV chargers for 1.7 million vehicles, far behind China’s 3.2 million for 20 million EVs. The gap persists despite 9,000 more expected

Private Initiatives: A Partial Solution

Tata Power, Reliance, and MG Motor are building EV charging networks, but efforts lack the scale for major impact despite collaborations with oil retailers

Challenges for Small Operators

Startups dominate EV charging but face low use, high costs, and limited incentives, while battery swapping struggles with standardisation

Government’s Role: Driving Change

The government is boosting EV infrastructure with ₹2,000 crore, highway incentives, and a unified private platform

The Way Forward

Carmakers should pace EV launches until infrastructure improves, ensuring balanced and sustainable growth