According to a recent report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India needs to install over 400,000 EV charging stations annually to meet the estimated demand, which will amount to nearly 1.32 million chargers by 2030. The report, the second in the series on “Roadmap for Future Mobility 2030” produced in collaboration with Edelman, outlines the importance of charging infrastructure to keep pace with the rapid growth of EVs in India.
Government initiatives have led to increased consumer acceptance of electric vehicles. In 2022, there was a threefold increase in EV adoption over the previous year. If the current trend of 40% year-on-year growth continues, the report predicts that 106 million EVs will be sold annually by 2030.
To accommodate this growth, the report suggests that India must maintain a 1:40 charging infrastructure to EV ratio. This would require the installation of more than 400,000 chargers per year, leading to a total of 1.32 million chargers by 2030.
Mr Vipin Sondhi, Chairperson – CII National Committee on Future Mobility 2022-23 (last year) and Former MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland and JCB said, “The Government of India has set the ball rolling on accelerated adoption of EVs, aiming to achieve sales penetration of 30% for private cars, 70% for commercial vehicles, and 80% for two and three-wheelers by 2030. The foundation for this will be laid by the creation of robust charging infrastructure.”
The sheer extent of charging infrastructure that will need to be set up in India provides the economies of scale needed to turn the country into a global manufacturing hub for charging stations, in turn leading to job creation and exports. In the report, a set of recommendations has been laid out to help achieve this goal. A streamlined approval process for public charging infrastructure is suggested, which includes a single-window mechanism and the rationalization of demand charges based on actual usage to support the viability of charging point operators (CPOs).
Furthermore, integration of charging networks into both new and existing town planning is advised. For wider reach, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) should be established for the deployment of charging infrastructure networks in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns, along with rural areas.
Incentives under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat program could encourage domestic production of EV charging station components, reducing import dependence and propelling India towards becoming a global supply hub for electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). The report also promotes the use of 100% renewable energy sources for charging stations, suggesting a combined approach of open access, distributed renewable energy (DRE) through commercial and industrial sectors, and net metering with local and grid storage systems.
