"Ministry Releases Draft Guidelines for Establishing EV Charging Infrastructure Under PM E-DRIVE".

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has released draft guidelines for establishing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure under the Prime Minister Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme. The draft guidelines have been circulated to stakeholders for feedback and suggestions, according to sources within the MHI.

The PM E-DRIVE scheme aims to support the installation of robust public charging infrastructure for various types of electric vehicles. This includes over 22,000 chargers for electric four-wheelers (e-4Ws), 1,800 chargers for e-buses, and additional infrastructure for electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws) and three-wheelers (e-3Ws). The initiative is designed to encourage the active participation of stakeholders, including charge point operators, EV charger OEMs, state governments, urban local bodies, government agencies, ministries, electricity distribution companies (Discoms), highway authorities, and central public sector enterprises (CPSEs).

The scheme, which has an allocated budget of ₹2,000 crore for setting up public fast-charging stations, offers up to 80% subsidy on upstream infrastructure (behind-the-meter infrastructure). In exceptional cases, the Ministry may consider providing 100% funding, including for upstream power infrastructure.

The draft guidelines specify that several central ministries, including the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Ministry of Telecommunications, Ministry of Tourism, and others, will be involved in the project. State governments and central ministries are also encouraged to conduct feasibility studies to identify optimal locations for EV charging stations (EV PCS). These studies will evaluate factors like traffic patterns, proximity to commercial areas, land accessibility, power supply availability, and potential for grid upgrades.

A technical committee, led by an Additional/Joint Secretary from MHI, with members from Niti Aayog, Ministry of Power, and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), will review proposals and make decisions. The committee's recommendations will then be presented to the Project Implementation and Sanctioning Committee (PISC) for final approval. Once approved, the state governments or central ministries will be notified about the number of charging stations sanctioned and instructed to initiate the tendering process.

The MHI also outlined the incentive structure for state governments and central ministries involved in the project. The incentive will be based on the price per kilowatt of benchmark upstream costs set by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). Once finalized, the incentive will be disbursed in three instalments: 30% as a mobilisation advance, 40% after the installation of EV charging systems, and the remaining 30% after the successful commercial operation of the stations.

The MHI emphasized that the upstream infrastructure, up to the meter, will remain the property of the relevant Discom, regardless of the project’s progression.

HBL