UP Leads India’s EV Race, But Can Infrastructure Keep Up?

Uttar Pradesh seems to have laid out the fastest track for electric vehicle adoption in India. In sync with the Narendra Modi-led government’s pledge to make India net zero by 2070, the BJP-ruled state went full throttle to contribute 19% of the 20 Lakh EVs registered in the country in 2024, shows Inc42’s India’s Electric Vehicle Startup Landscape Report, 2025.

Government incentives and sustained push from the Centre for lowering the use of fossil fuel have added momentum to India’s $54.4 Bn EV market to accelerate 2.4 times to reach $132.2 Bn by 2030. According to estimates by the government’s Invest India portal, the EV segment will cross annual sales of 17 Mn units by the same year.

But does India have the right infrastructure in place for a smooth ride to its net-zero goal? 

A switchover to electric mobility calls for a strong infrastructure of extensive and reliable public charging networks. The Centre, through its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) schemes and its latest iteration, the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) have offered support to this critical aspect of the industry. Yet, the expansion of charging infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the rapid rate of EV adoption. 

According to government data, India had 25,202 public EV charging stations as of December 2024. Based on the number of EVs registered last year alone, this translates to only one public charging station for every 80 new EVs. With over 58 Lakh registered EVs in India to date, the gap widens further to just one public charging station for every 230 vehicles. This highlights the pressing need for improved infrastructure to support EV adoption. 

In comparison, the US had more than 61,000 public EV charging stations for over 3.3 Mn electric cars on the road as of February 2024, or one charging station for 54 cars. Europe is likely to have seen more than 3.5 Mn vehicles sold in 2024 alone. In 2023, there were roughly 755,800 public charging stations for EVs in Europe (including Turkey).

Charging Infra In States Goes Slow…

Although EV adoption is on top gear in UP, the state lags behind in charging infrastructure with only 1,989 public EV charging stations, which works out to one station for 190 vehicles. 

Karnataka, which ranks among the top three states in EV adoption rate with 1.8 Lakh vehicles registered in 2024, leads the infra league with 5,765 charging stations. 

Maharashtra secured the second spot both in adoption tally with 2.5 Lakh EVs registered last year and in charging station count with 3,728 units.

The gap between EV adoption and charging infrastructure is wider in reality across the country. Almost half of the public charging stations are not completely operational. The most recent report from the central government, published in February last year, said that only 12,146 EV public charging stations were operational across the country. UP had 582 operational stations till a year back. 

Experts and investors in the EV industry argue that building charging stations alone wouldn’t bridge this gap as the infrastructure must also be efficient and rapid to accelerate electric vehicle adoption.

“While charging infrastructure is essential, we believe that significant adoption of EVs will be propelled by the availability of fast charging stations. These stations would lower the overall cost of EV ownership for urban commuters who are switching to EVs as they prefer quick 10-minute fuel stops from the ICE days, which fast charging can provide,” said Green Frontier Capital’s (GFC) venture principal Karan Mehta.

An efficient charging infrastructure also needs to offer interoperability, convenience, and the option for both AC for standard charging and DC for fast charging in EVs.

Akash Gupta, cofounder and chief executive of Clean Electric, which builds fast-charging lithium-ion batteries for EVs that can be charged in 12 minutes, stresses on universal charging standards as a strong prerequisite for scaling up the infrastructure. 

“Similar to how CCS2 (combined charging system 2) has become the ubiquitous standard for high-voltage electric four-wheelers, Type 6 should be adopted by all low-voltage vehicles (two- and three-wheelers) to ensure compatibility and standardisation. This will further reduce uncertainty for the CPOs (charge point operator) and charger OEMs (original equipment manufacturers),” he said. 

Yet, EV Adoption Accelerates… 

There are multiple factors, according to experts, that are driving the adoption of electric vehicles along the fast lane. 

“UP is fast turning into a hub for EV manufacturing with major players setting up production plants there. Cities like Greater Noida and Agra are home to several EV manufacturers. Kanpur, Lucknow Ghaziabad and Meerut are where automobile ancillary industries like battery and other components have come up. All these help increase product reach and ease in aftersales services,” said Samkit Shah, who cofounded Jitendra EV. 

He noted that Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, has a strong presence of EVs due to its urban-centric demography. While in UP, the switchover might be driven by both urban and rural areas, in Karnataka, it is perhaps limited to cities.

Some experts also attribute the high adoption rate to the EV policies rolled out by the state governments. 

“A combination of incentives, such as state subsidies and the removal of permit fees for e-rickshaws, has contributed to the growing adoption of EVs in UP. Accessible infrastructure has catalysed rapid growth of EV registrations, with cities like Lucknow clocking a 60-fold jump in electric auto sales from 2020 to 2024,” said Mehta of GFC. 

In the last five years, the number of registered EVs across segments has increased 10-fold. Maharashtra topped the states in terms of four-wheeler EV sales last year, with more than 22K units sold, as per the Inc42 report. 

The EV market is dominated by two-wheeler (2W) vehicles, contributing 85%–90% of sales. In the three-wheeler (3W) passenger vehicle segment, the penetration remains at 5%–7%, hindered by high costs and alternative options like CNG. The market lacks four-wheeler (4W) passenger EVs tailored for fleets, with prices still higher than CNG and ICE models, according to the Inc42 report.

To keep up the momentum in the EV industry, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget for 2025-26 announced total exemption of customs duty on 25 critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, copper, germanium and silicon. These are crucial in manufacturing batteries used in EVs and other consumer electronics. Sitharaman also announced a reduction in basic customs duty (BCD) on two of these minerals.

Experts see this announcement as a shot in the arm for the EV ecosystem. “The removal of BCD on key minerals essential for EV batteries is poised to significantly boost EV adoption in India. Batteries account for over 50% of the BOM for an EV and by lowering production costs for battery manufacturers, this policy change will make EVs more affordable for consumers, thereby increasing their market penetration,” Mehta said.

… Calling For Robust Infra Support

The booming EV space in the world’s third-largest automobile market alone is expected to generate 5 Cr jobs in the next five years. To support this growth momentum, the government must partner with private sector participants, according to experts. 

“To overcome the adequate availability of public charging stations concerns, public-private partnerships can be a practical solution. Additionally, partnering with local authorities to ensure charging stations are installed in high-demand areas, such as markets, malls, and major transport hubs shall be of great help on this front,” Jitendra EV’s Shah said. 

Tata Power EZ Charge operates in over 450 cities, including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, offering both public and semi-public charging solutions. Auto giant Tata Motors recently announced plans to bolster the EV charging network by increasing the total number of EV charging points to 4 Lakh by 2027. 

By combining the strengths of the government, such as policy support and infrastructure development, with the private sector’s innovation, investment, and expertise, public-private partnerships can help address challenges like charging infrastructure, manufacturing capabilities, and consumer adoption.

Such collaborations can enable faster deployment of EV technologies, promote localised production, and create a conducive environment for long-term growth in the EV market.