India’s rapidly electrifying automotive sector—from e‑autos to two- and four-wheelers—is struggling with inadequate public charging infrastructure, causing what drivers describe as “range anxiety” and reduced earnings.
A recent report highlights that many charging stations—particularly in cities like Chennai—fail to match EV adoption rates. Drivers are forced to take long detours, wait for unreliable chargers, and settle for lower daily income due to insufficient uptime. This scarcity extends beyond e‑rickshaw operators: public stations across the country average one charger per 135 EVs, starkly lagging the global norm of 1:6–20.
Root causes include high infrastructure costs, inconsistent grid support, outdated charger standards, and woefully inadequate operations and maintenance protocols. A Delhi-based study flagged that nearly 84% of public fast chargers in sampled areas were non‑functional due to theft, outdated tech, and poor upkeep.
While policies like FAME II and PM E‑DRIVE allocate funding for charging networks, incentives focus on equipment installation, not onsite reliability or uptime—leaving stations offline and users unsupported.
What this means for EV adoption:
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Range anxiety remains high, deterring drivers from transitioning or fully switching.
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Economic drag for commercial EV users, such as e‑auto drivers, impacts livelihoods.
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Stunted EV growth as limited infrastructure undermines consumer and institutional confidence.
Steps needed:
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Incentivize operations and maintenance, not just installations.
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Standardize charging tech and upgrade obsolete stations (e.g., shift to CCS2).
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Expand grid and land-use support for charger deployment.
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Consider alternate models like battery swapping and solar-powered points.
Until public charging becomes dependable nationwide, India’s EV revolution risks stalling—leaving drivers and operators caught on the wrong side of progress.
