6,000 EV charging stations to be installed on 9 expressways says Union Minister Mahendra Pandey .
The government is planning to install 6,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across nine expressways in the country, Minister of State for Heavy Industries Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey said on Saturday. He also asked the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to develop technology that reduces the charging time.
He stated that the sale of EVs in India has increased drastically in the last few months due to various schemes and subsidies provided by the government. He also spoke about the challenges in EV adoption, including the time taken for charging vehicles.
“To overcome one of these problems related to charging, I am going to urge the ARAI to develop the technology that reduces the charging time,” the minister said.
Pandey further stated that the Advanced Chemical Cell (ACC), which is the main component of the EV battery, is currently imported and about 30 percent of the cost of the EV is the cost of the battery itself. This can be reduced if it is locally produced, he said, adding that this is possible because about 70 percent of the material used in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries is already available in India.
“With these newly introduced PLI schemes, the government is providing support up to Rs 362 crore per gigawatt in this sector of EVs,” Pandey said. He also highlighted the government’s FAME I and II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) scheme, which has now been extended by another two years to March 31, 2024.
The minister said with the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, it will lead to an investment of Rs 42,500 crore and will further accelerate manufacturing of components and batteries in India.
