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Govt plans to install 6,000 charging stations across 9 expressways: Mahendra Nath Pandey
According Pandey, the sale of EVs in India has increased drastically in the last few months due to various schemes and subsidies provided by the government
The government is planning to install 6,000 charging stations for electric vehicles across nine expressways in the country, said Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, minister of heavy Industries at Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) on Saturday.
Pandey also asked ARAI to develop technology to reduce charging time.
“Since charging is the main concern when it comes to the use of EVs, the government has chosen nine expressways where 6,000 charging stations have been sanctioned and about 3,000 will be installed soon. The advanced chemical cell (ACC), which is the main component of the EV battery, is currently imported. About 30% of the cost of the EV is the cost of the battery itself. This can be reduced if it is locally produced. This is possible because about 70% of the material used in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries is already available in India. With these newly-introduced PLI schemes, the government is providing support up to ₹362 crore per gigawatt in the EVs sector,” Pandey said.
According to the minister, the sale of EVs in India has increased drastically in the last few months due to various schemes and subsidies provided by the government. “However, there are various challenges that we have to counter, including the price and the charging infrastructure.
“To overcome one of these problems related to charging, I am going to urge ARAI to develop technology that reduces charging time,” he said.
Pandey emphasised on the government’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV) scheme I and II which has been extended by another two years to March 31, 2024. “The production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme will lead to an investment of ₹42,500 crore and will further accelerate manufacturing of components and batteries in India. The government is providing financial support up to 8 to 13% for auto component manufacturers and up to 13 to 18% for EV manufacturers through the scheme.
“This will also facilitate the creation of about 7.5lakh new advanced-level employment opportunities,” he said.
Considering the increase in the usage of drones in the coming years for various applications, the ministry of heavy industries has sanctioned ₹120 crore for research and other related work in this regard. Further, action for the same will be initiated by the ministry of civil aviation, Pandey said.
