According to a recent survey by Forvis Mazars in India, 58% of prospective EV buyers in the nation are put off by range anxiety, or worries about not having enough battery power to get to the next charging station. The paper identifies a number of issues with India’s EV infrastructure and offers possible fixes to encourage wider uptake.
There are major gaps in India’s current EV charging infrastructure. There were 12,146 public charging stations in the nation as of February 2024, meaning there is one charging station for every 135 electric cars on the road. The ratios are far lower in nations like the US and China, where there are 20 EVs and 10 EVs per charging station, respectively. Furthermore, semi-urban and rural locations in India are underserved due to the fact that 70% of public charging stations are located in urban areas.
The charging network’s operational problems are also noted in the report. Due to maintenance delays, grid connectivity issues, or technical difficulties, about 25% of public charging stations frequently encounter outages. Consequently, 90% of EV users in India choose home charging because there aren’t enough public charging stations available.
The lengthy 1.5–2 hour average charging durations for EVs in India are another significant issue. The international standards for rapid chargers, which range from 30 to 1 hour, are much lower than this. Delays like these affect the switch to electric vehicles and increase consumer hesitancy.
The study takes inspiration from nations like Norway, which has a strong charging network and has successfully attained high EV adoption rates. Norway has standardized charging technology to lower installation costs and promote private sector participation, and no EV user lives more than 50 kilometers from a fast charger.
The report’s conclusion highlights the necessity of a thorough strategy for growing India’s EV ecosystem. This entails developing favorable government regulations to promote investment and innovation in the industry in addition to developing charging infrastructure and enhancing battery technology.