EV News: Union Govt Issues Guidelines for EV Public Charging Infrastructure Under PM E-Drive Scheme

EV News: Union Govt Issues Guidelines for EV Public Charging Infrastructure Under PM E-Drive Scheme

New Delhi: Ministry of Heavy Industries has released operational guidelines for setting up electric vehicle (EV) public charging infrastructure throughout the country under the PM E-Drive scheme to boost the adoption of clean public charging facility and mobility in India.

The ₹10,000 crore scheme has earmarked ₹2,000 crore for charging infrastructure, with plans to support up to 72,300 new charging and swapping stations across the country. Central government ministries, CPSEs, autonomous bodies, and state/UT governments are eligible for incentives under this PM E- Drive Scheme.

As per the latest guidelines, charging infrastructure deployed in government premises—such as offices, residential complexes, hospitals, and schools—will receive 100% subsidy on both upstream infrastructure and EV Supply Equipment (EVSE), provided the charging is free to use for the public.

For charging stations located at sites owned by government entities, including PSUs, airports, ports, bus/metro stations, and NHAI toll plazas, subsidies will cover 80% of upstream infrastructure costs and 70% of EVSE costs. Meanwhile, charging stations in cities, shopping malls, markets, and other commercial spaces will get an 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure.

The scheme prioritises high-density areas such as urban centres with populations above one million, smart cities, state capitals, and major highways in India. Benchmark costs for infrastructure have been fixed, ranging from ₹6.04 lakh for chargers up to 50 kW to ₹24 lakh for chargers above 150 kW. For EVSE, the benchmark cost of a 50 kW CCS-II charger is ₹7.25 lakh, while a 100 kW unit is priced at ₹11.68 lakh.

Union government has also mandated that all new stations comply with the Ministry of Power standards for EV charging to ensure interoperability. For four-wheelers and heavy vehicles, the CCS-II standard (50–500 kW) will be used, while two- and three-wheelers will rely on Light EV DC and Light EV AC/DC Combo connectors of up to 12 kW.

Currently, India has about 30,000 public charging stations, far behind global EV leaders. The PM E-Drive scheme targets installation of 22,100 fast chargers for cars, 1,800 for buses, and 48,400 for two- and three-wheelers, with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) acting as the project implementation agency.

All charging stations set up under the scheme will be integrated into the National Unified EV Charging Hub, providing real-time availability updates and facilitating digital payments. Subsidies will be disbursed in two phases, linked to performance and compliance checks.

By focusing on charging infrastructure, the government is pushing India’s transport transition to electric mobility.