Government Issues Guidelines for Establishing EV Charging Stations Under PM E-DRIVE Scheme

The government has introduced guidelines for setting up around 72,300 public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations nationwide. This initiative is part of the PM E-DRIVE scheme, which has a budget of Rs 10,900 crore, with Rs 2,000 crore allocated specifically for this purpose. The guidelines propose a tiered subsidy system to aid in the establishment of EV charging infrastructure at various sites.

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Government properties like offices, residential areas, hospitals, and schools will receive full subsidies for both upstream infrastructure and EV charging equipment if they provide free public access to chargers. For locations such as railway stations, airports managed by the Airports Authority of India, public sector oil marketing companies' retail outlets, bus stations operated by state transport undertakings, metro stations, municipal parking areas, public sector ports, and toll plazas managed by NHAI or state governments on highways and expressways, the subsidy will cover 80% of upstream infrastructure costs and 70% of EV supply equipment expenses.

Subsidy Structure for Various Locations

In cities and along highways, streets, shopping malls, and market complexes will receive an 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure. This also applies to battery swapping or charging stations set up anywhere. The guidelines specify that eligible entities such as central ministries and state or union territory governments must appoint nodal agencies to consolidate EV public charging station demand and submit proposals to the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

Nodal bodies will be tasked with identifying key locations and submitting combined proposals through an online portal. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is designated as the Project Implementation Agency for deploying these EV charging stations. The subsidy disbursement will occur in two phases, with funds released once compliance and performance standards are met.

Focus on Urban Centres and Transport Hubs

The scheme prioritises urban areas with populations exceeding one million, smart cities, metro-connected satellite towns, state capitals, and busy national and state highways. Infrastructure support is also planned for public transport hubs like railway stations, airports, and fuel retail outlets. This strategic focus aims to enhance accessibility to EV charging facilities in high-demand areas.

The initiative's goal is to encourage widespread adoption of electric vehicles by ensuring convenient access to charging stations across the country. By targeting high-density regions and essential transport nodes, the scheme seeks to address potential barriers to EV usage while promoting sustainable transportation solutions.

With inputs from PTI