So a public charging station (PCS) needs to generate additional revenues from food, retail or other services — something like a multiplex earning from food sales. But that drives up initial costs, and demands more acreage.
The number of public chargers still needs to expand nine-fold and reach over 15 million units by 2030 if EVs were to account for more than 30 per cent of vehicles sold globally in 2030 (excluding two- and three-wheelers), the Paris-based International Energy Agency said. “Governments should continue to support deployment of publicly available charging infrastructure at least until there are enough EVs on the road for an operator to sustain a charging network,” the agency said.
The Modi government will spend little on PCS — it plans to install only 3,263-46,397 (in varying scenarios) public chargers in eight cities by 2030, R K Singh, minister for power and MNRE told Parliament this week — compared to over Rs 30,000 crore in subsidising the EV vehicle ecosystem.
He compares EV outlets to a petrol pump where after securing a licence one can be ready in 20 days on the strength of standardised physical platforms, support from oil marketing companies, and financing by banks on the basis of the licence and visibility of cash flows. None of the factors exist in the EV charging space, he said.
Black spots
- The world needs over 15 million public chargers in 2030 if EVs are to account for over 30 per cent of vehicles sold globally in 2030 (excluding two- and three-wheelers)
- India has only 2,000-3,000 chargers nationwide
- The Modi government plans to install only 3,263-46,397 public chargers in 8 cities by 2030
- Unlike a petrol pump, public charging outlets are not profitable; they need to generate additional revenues from food, retail or other services which drives up initial costs, and demands more acreage
- Private entrepreneurs are not enthused for lack of visible cash flows after dealing with expensive real estate, waiting at officials’ doors at utilities to secure power lines, and then waiting for a vehicle to drop by
He compares the ongoing PCS pilots on the Delhi-Jaipur highway to small air terminals. Each outlet will have a mix of 20 slow-charging AC chargers to fast-charging DC units besides cargo hub, EV retail showrooms, restaurants and other services.
“A petrol pump reaches its break-even in 24-30 months (excluding land), Metro takes 8.5 years, no one knows about charging stations when they will break even,” Sinha added.
Exponent Co-founder Arun Vinayak has developed chargers and batteries using existing materials but with different designs and processes to charge vehicles in 15 minutes. “Faster charging is cheaper charging,” Vinayak said. “It unlocks the ability to build a profitable charging network where we can sell energy to 40 vehicles per day at half the price compared to existing PCS that charge only two to three vehicles daily.” The catch here is that superfast charging works only if both battery and the charger are Exponent-sourced.
But the batteries cost more and have lower energy density or tend to be heavier compared to equivalent nickel-manganese-cobalt or lithium iron phosphate cells. The company will start a cell manufacturing line by October, he added.
One subscription. Two world-class reads.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app