Oil marketing companies to set up 7,432 EV charging stations

The ministry of heavy industries has sanctioned Rs800 crore as capital subsidy to the three public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) for setting up 7,432 electric vehicle charging stations under Phase II of the FAME scheme.

It has also sanctioned 148 EV charging stations to other entities under the scheme.

Formulated in 2015, the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme aims to promote adoption of electric/ hybrid vehicles (xEVs) in India. Phase-1 of the scheme was open till 31 March 2019 with budget outlay of Rs895 crore. 

This first phase of FAME India focused on areas like technological development, demand generation, pilot project and charging infrastructure components. About 2.8 lakh xEVs were supported with total demand incentives of about Rs359 crore. In addition, 425 electric and hybrid buses were ware also deployed across various cities in the country with government incentive of about Rs280 crore. The ministry of heavy industries had also sanctioned about 520 charging stations/infrastructure for Rs43 crore under Phase-I of FAME-India Scheme.

Project support of about Rs158 crore was also provided for  technology development projects like establishment of testing infrastructure, setting up of centres for advanced research in electrified transportation, battery development etc to various organisations/institutions like Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, Non Ferrous Material Technology Development Centre (NFTDC), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) etc.

Government notified Phase-II of FAME India for a period of five years commencing 1 April 2019, with a total budgetary support of Rs10,000 crore. This phase mainly focuses on supporting electrification of public and shared transportation, and aims to support through demand incentive 7,090 eBuses, 5 lakh e-3 wheelers, 55,000 e-4 wheeler passenger cars and 1 million e-2 wheelers.

So far, under phase-II, subsidy amounting to Rs5,248 crore has been given to electric vehicle manufactures on sale of 11,61,350  electric vehicles (s of 5 December 2023).

The ministry also sanctioned 6,862 electric buses to various cities/STUs/state government entities for intracity operations. Out of 6,862 e-buses, 3,487 e-buses have been supplied to STUs as of 29 November 2023, according to a government release.