Parliament Question: High-Speed EV Charging Infrastructure on National Highways

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2648 ANSWERED ON 04.08.2026 HIGH-SPEED EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE ON NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

2648. DR. BACHHAV SHOBHA DINESH:

Will the Minister of HEAVY INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has finalized the locations for the 2,000 high-speed charging stations sanctioned for major national highways by February 2026, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is providing a 100% capital grant for the installation of these chargers in public-private partnership (PPP) mode, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether these charging stations are being equipped with "Open Charging Point Protocol" (OCPP) to ensure compatibility across all EV brands;

(d) whether the Government is collaborating with the Govt of Power to ensure dedicated green-energy feeders for these high-speed charging hubs, if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether this infrastructure rollout led to a measurable increase in the sales of long-range electric heavy vehicles and passenger cars, if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEAVY INDUSTRIES (SHRI BHUPATHIRAJU SRINIVASA VARMA)

(a): There is an allocation of Rs.2,000 crore under the PM E-DRIVE scheme for deployment of adequate number of EV public charging stations (EVPCS) on pan India basis including major national highways. There is no target number of charging stations for national highways.

(b): Under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, 100% capital grant is provided only for “Category A" locations, comprising Central Government and State Government premises, including government offices, government residential complexes, and Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), subject to unrestricted public access for EV charging.

(c): To ensure broad compatibility across all electric vehicle brands, EV charging stations funded by the PM E-DRIVE scheme are equipped with the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP).

(d): No such proposal is under consideration.

(e): Yes. EV sales have shown a consistent upward trend during the period 2019–20 to 2025–26, and overall EV penetration has increased from 0.68% in 2019–20 to 8.26% in FY 2025–26. However, no assessment has been carried out by MHI to establish a direct causal relationship between the rollout of the charging infrastructure and the increase in sales of EVs.

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