The Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel, Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha gave an update on the status of charging stations in India.
Under Phase-II of FAME India scheme, Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) sanctioned Rs 8 billion as capital subsidy to three oil marketing companies (OMCs) for setting up 7,432 electric vehicle public charging stations (EVPCS). Furthermore, MHI sanctioned additional amount of Rs 735 million under FAME-II scheme to OMCs for upgradation of 980 existing low capacity EVPCS across the country.
Furthermore, the minister shared that the following initiatives have been taken up by the government to increase the use of EVs in the country:
- GST on EVs and chargers/ charging stations for EVs has been reduced to 5 per cent.
- The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H) has announced that battery-operated vehicles will be given green license plates and be exempted from permit requirements.
- The MoRTH has also issued a notification advising states to waive off road tax on EVs, which in turn will help reduce the initial cost of EVs.
