FICCI Report: India Requires ₹16,000 Crore Capex for EV Public Charging Infrastructure by 2030.

As electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to rise in India, the country will require an estimated ₹16,000 crore in capital expenditure to meet public charging demands by 2030, according to a report released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) recently.

The report, titled FICCI EV Public Charging Infrastructure Roadmap 2030, suggests prioritizing the top 40 cities and 20 highway stretches for scaling up public charging infrastructure. These cities were selected from over 700 cities based on EV sales data from 2015 to 2023-24. The cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Indore, and others, are expected to experience higher EV penetration in the next 3-5 years due to growing adoption and favorable state policies. The 20 highways connecting these cities account for 50% of vehicular traffic, making them critical for infrastructure development.

Currently, public charging stations in India face financial viability challenges, with utilization rates below 2%. To achieve profitability and scalability, the report recommends increasing utilization to 8-10% by 2030.

The FICCI report outlines several hurdles in scaling up charging infrastructure, including high infrastructure costs, low utilization rates, unreliable power supply, and the lack of standardized protocols for interoperability. It also highlights the challenges posed by the current electricity tariff structure, where fixed charges apply regardless of consumption, making it difficult for charging stations to break even.

The report stresses the importance of coordinated efforts among policymakers, industry players, and government bodies to facilitate India’s transition to clean energy and sustainable transportation. It also calls for the implementation of the Ministry of Power's recent guidelines to establish a uniform charging framework across states.

HBL