From Fossil to Flexible: How India Can Power EVs with Renewables

India’s transport electrification is shifting from a fossil-dependent paradigm toward a flexible, renewables-driven future. Ember’s latest analysis highlights that by 2030, India’s electric vehicle (EV) charging needs could exceed 25 billion units of electricity, requiring the equivalent of around 14 GW of new wind and solar capacity to keep emissions low.

Currently, only 10.8% of electricity used for EV charging comes from wind and solar and overall clean resources account for just 22.3%, underscoring the urgent need to expand renewables in the grid. Ember points out that reaching targets from India’s National Electricity Plan (NEP‑14) could see the share of clean power rise to about 50% by 2032, cutting the grid’s emission factor from approximately 727 gCO₂/kWh to 430 gCO₂/kWh

The analysis stresses smarter planning: aligning EV charging with times of high solar generation, leveraging time‑of‑day tariffs and ensuring discoms use real‑time data forecasts to integrate EV-related electricity use with clean supply planning.

With supportive policy design and grid flexibility, India’s road transport sector can play a pivotal role in accelerating decarbonisation, turning EV growth into an asset for clean energy expansion.