NHAI Plans to Install EV Charging Stations Along Major Highways

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) plans to build around 600 charging stations along National Highways in 22 states to enhance the country’s electric car infrastructure

In the next five years, the NHAI will establish charging stations in collaboration with private firms. Along with charging stations, the NHAI proposes to build food courts, eateries, and retail shops in one location along roads.

The NHAI and the EV charging stations may form what is unquestionably the most powerful alliance in the Indian automobile industry. It will not only improve India’s electric vehicle infrastructure but will also encourage Indian residents to invest in EVs themselves since the enhanced infrastructure that this partnership provides would allow for better maintenance and application of EVs and charging stations.

100% Utilization!

The National Roadways Authority of India intends to combine the charging station strategy with its previous decision to engage in real estate development along the country’s national highways. Since the NHAI selected approximately 3000 hectares of land for the development program, there has been discussion about the building of better and more viable highway infrastructure. According to numerous sources, as NHAI consolidates with the private sector for this effort, it is expected to commence within the next five years, with more than 650 sites for EV charging stations throughout 22 states.

Over 650 locations have already been identified and marked for the initiative, including 94 along the new Delhi-Mumbai expressway, almost 180 along existing roads across the country, and even 376 new ones along expressways now under construction. We’re not sure nothing would scream “eyes on the prize” more than that. Even more encouraging is the fact that many private developers have already replied to bids for a handful (about 140) of these sites, indicating that this will be a big (and crazily profitable) undertaking over the next five years or more.

Staying With Nation’s EV Dreams

Nitin Gadkari, India’s Union Road Transport Minister, has stated that by the end of this decade, India wants 70% of commercial automobiles, 30% of private cars, 40% of buses, and 80% of two-wheelers and three-wheelers to be electric. The government is trying to reduce expenditure on importing petrol by promoting electric vehicles and vehicles that run on other fuels, according to Gadkari.

The government is pushing hard to provide electric car infrastructure, including charging stations at gas stations, residential colonies, malls, and other public locations. The government is planning to install 30 lakh public charging stations around the country in the coming decade to accomplish the ambitious goal.

Conclusion

As we have already discussed in earlier posts, India is damn serious about its EV dreams. This is a significant step for the nation as it helps to propel towards the adoption and widespread use of electric vehicles in India. The construction of EV charging stations along national roads that are widely accessible would benefit not just existing EV owners, but will also help introduce them to people who had reservations about the EV’s long-distance accessibility. 

This would undoubtedly provide a much-needed boost to India’s EV culture, which is currently at a very early stage. The proposed EV charging infrastructure development strategy along the highways might also help India achieve its objective of becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles. If everything goes as per the plan, it is possible to have a network of over 3 million public EV charging stations by the end of the decade as established by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Let’s hope the future is brimming with world-class EV infrastructure and everything our EV fantasies are made up of!