Mint Explainer | Can 72,000 public chargers fix India’s slow EV adoption?

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. India’s electric vehicle (EV) market is expanding, but adoption remains modest across most segments, particularly cars, buses, and two-wheelers. An August report by Niti Aayog noted that while more than half of India’s three-wheelers are now electric, other categories continue to lag.

Global EV penetration stood at 16.48% in 2024, compared with just 7.66% in India. The lack of adequate charging facilities, and the range anxiety that stems from it, remains a critical bottleneck for mass adoption. The government plans to address this with the PM E-Drive scheme, aiming to set up more than 72,000 public chargers by FY28, when the scheme lapses, with a ₹2,000 crore budget, targeting urban areas and highways.

About 6% of all two-wheelers sold in 2025 were electric, while only about 5% of cars were electric. Also 5% of buses and less than 1% of medium- and heavy-duty trucks were electric. Ashim Sharma of Nomura Research Institute had told Mint on 2 December that making charging infrastructure widespread would increase adoption of electric vehicles.

Mint examines the current ecosystem, the government’s strategy, and the gaps that could determine whether India’s EV ambitions succeed. An electric vehicle runs on a battery that powers its moving parts, and once that battery runs out, the vehicle stops. This is a major concern for potential buyers, many of whom still opt for petrol or diesel vehicles because they fear running out of charge mid-journey, a concern known as range anxiety.