Government releases guidelines for EV public charging infra under PM E-Drive

The Ministry of Heavy Industries has released the operational guidelines for setting up electric vehicle public charging infrastructure under the PM E-Drive scheme.
The Rs 10,000 crore scheme has set aside Rs 2,000 crore to subsidise charging infrastructure, including up to 72,300 new public EV charging stations, battery swapping stations, and battery charging stations.

According to the guidelines, central government ministries, central public sector enterprises (CPSEs), or autonomous bodies under the government, as well as state and Union Territory governments setting up charging infrastructure, are eligible for incentives.

The subsidy will be for upstream infrastructure costs, but in certain cases, it may also be given for EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) costs. The subsidy will be calculated as a percentage of either the benchmark costs that are published by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency or the actual costs, whichever is lower.

The scheme prioritizes deploying charging stations in high-density areas such as urban centers with populations over one million, smart cities and towns connected to major metro cities, state capitals and major national and state highways.

Charging infrastructure set up in government buildings like offices, residential complexes, hospitals, and schools will receive 100% subsidy on both infrastructure and EVSE, but only if the chargers are free for public use.

Public charging stations located on sites owned, controlled, or managed by state and central government entities - including public sector undertakings like Oil Marketing Companies outlets, airports, bus/metro stations, ports, and NHAI toll plazas - will receive a subsidy of 80% for upstream infrastructure and 70% for EVSE.

Charging stations across all other locations, including cities, streets, shopping malls, and market complexes, will receive an 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure. Similarly, battery swapping stations or battery charging stations deployed at any location will also receive an 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure.

Benchmark costs for upstream infrastructure vary by charger capacity, ranging from Rs 6.04 lakh for chargers up to 50 kW to Rs 24 lakh for those above 150 kW.
For EVSE, the benchmark costs are determined by both charger type and capacity. The cost for a 50 kW CCS-II charger is Rs 7.25 lakh, while a 100 kW CCS-II charger is set at Rs 11.68 lakh.

The upstream infrastructure for charging stations typically comprises a distribution transformer, LT and HT cables, AC distribution boxes, circuit breakers or isolators, and other protection equipment. It also includes tubular or PCC mounting structures, fencing, and civil works. The EVSE consists of the EV charger itself, along with its charging guns.

Most of the major automakers in India have rolled out their fully electric vehicles; limited charging infrastructure is the biggest barrier to faster adoption of electric vehicles in the country.

Close to 30,000 public EV charging stations are currently installed in the country. However, India lags behind many mature electric vehicle markets in charging infrastructure.

The government and the industry have been pushing for higher charger-to-vehicle density, advocating that it is critical to encourage more consumers to transition to electric vehicles by alleviating range anxiety.

While the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segments are witnessing faster adoption of electric vehicles in India, passenger vehicle makers have also started pushing electric vehicles. Automakers, including Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai, are also setting up electric vehicle charging stations across the country to gain consumer confidence. 

One of the major highlights of the PM E-Drive has been its higher focus on supporting the charging infrastructure. The scheme targets to support 22,100 fast chargers for four-wheelers, 1,800 for buses, and 48,400 for two and three-wheelers with an outlay of Rs 2,000 crore.

The industry and senior government officials have been advocating the importance of strategically placing EV charging stations in EV-dense cities, claiming that indiscriminately installing charging stations across the country in areas with low electric vehicle penetration would be a waste of resources.

Central government ministries and state/UT governments will have to appoint nodal agencies that will aggregate the demand for public charging stations and submit proposals.

The eligible entity can decide whether to set up and operate the stations on their own or partner with a private company, known as a Charge Point Operator (CPO).
The responsibility for procuring upstream infrastructure and EVSE rests with the operating entity. Should the nodal agency install and operate the EV Public Charging Stations (PCS), it will undertake this procurement. 

Alternatively, when charging stations are installed and operated by a CPO, the CPO selection must follow a transparent bidding mechanism defined by the respective State, Central government ministries, or CPSEs. In this case, the selected CPO will be responsible for procuring the upstream infrastructure and EVSE.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is the project implementation agency. The subsidy will be disbursed in two stages, contingent on meeting specific performance and compliance standards.

Additionally, all new charging stations will be integrated with the National Unified EV Charging Hub to provide real-time information on availability and facilitate payments.

Standards for EV charging
The guidelines mandate that all charging infrastructure deployed under the PM E-DRIVE scheme must strictly adhere to the Ministry of Power’s latest standards for EV charging, in a bid to align with uniform charging standards to create an interoperable and reliable national EV charging network.

For two- and three-wheelers, the approved options are Light EV DC (IS-17017-2-6) and Light EV AC/DC Combo (IS-17017-2-7) connectors, with capacities of up to 12 kW.  For four-wheelers, buses and trucks, the CCS-II (IS-17017-2-3) standard has been specified, covering a range from 50 kW to 250 kW. 

In the case of heavy-duty e-buses and e-trucks, high-power CCS-II chargers from 250 kW to 500 kW are mandated, with each charging gun required to deliver a minimum of 120 kW to ensure fast charging.

Subsidy disbursal in 2 tranches
The subsidy will be released in two tranches based on the fulfillment of specific implementation activities and the submission of required undertakings. 

The first tranche, amounting to 70% of the eligible subsidy, is released after the nodal agency, or CPO, initiates the deployment process. This includes making payments to DISCOMs for the upstream infrastructure and procuring the EVSE. 

The release of this tranche is contingent upon the nodal agency submitting an undertaking that certifies the payment of demand notes to DISCOMs, and that the procured EV chargers comply with both the Phased Manufacturing Program (PMP) guidelines and the charging standards. 

In certain cases, such as when a public sector undertaking, state or central government nodal agency is installing and commissioning the charging stations, the first tranche may be released in advance upon their request to expedite adoption, provided a different undertaking is submitted.

The second and final tranche of the subsidy is disbursed following the successful commissioning and energization of the approved public charging stations.