Mahendra Nath Pandey, Indian Union Minister of Heavy Industries, said the Indian government had authorized the installation of 6,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations alongside nine expressways selected, as reported by the Economic Times on November 22. Pandey added that about 3,000 charging stations will be installed soon. The minister also urged the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to accelerate the technology development to shorten the charging times for EVs.

In recent years, India has strived for local EV development. The country has proposed the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme as early as April 2015 to accelerate EV technology development, pilot projects, and build infrastructure like charging stations. India is currently relying on imported Advanced Chemical Cells (ACCs), which are EV batteries’ major components. According to India’s Ministry of Commerce, during the fiscal year of 2018-2019, the country’s lithium-ion battery imports reached USD1.23bn, up 2.2 times over the previous fiscal year. Meanwhile, the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) estimated that India sold 365,920 EVs in 2018 and the sales will grow by 36% per year until 2026 with various governmental subsidies.

Sources:

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/renewables/6000-ev-charging-stations-to-be-installed-on-9-expressways-union-minister-mahendra-pandey/articleshow/87849335.cms

https://auto.sina.com.cn/zz/wb/2021-07-26/detail-ikqcfnca9031917.shtml