EV charging points along highways and expressways cross 4,500

More than 29,000 public charging stations for electric vehicles have been set up across the country, of which 4,557 are located along national and state highways and expressways, as per government data.

The date was shared by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry, even as it outlined a broader strategy for both expanding EV infrastructure and ensuring higher quality in highway construction.

The official in MoRTH said the Ministry of Heavy Industries had earmarked Rs 2,000 crore under the PM E-DRIVE scheme to establish a network of public charging facilities nationwide, catering to multiple categories of electric vehicles.

“Setting up of electric vehicle charging stations is an unlicensed activity and private entities are free to participate. The government’s role is to facilitate and incentivise expansion, while addressing issues of uneven distribution and standardization,” they said.

The officials further noted that while metro cities and some developed highway stretches already have a growing presence of charging stations, the challenge remains to ensure equitable coverage across remote areas and less-trafficked corridors.

Officials indicated that future targets for 2025–26 will be aligned with demand patterns and the bidding response of private operators.

On the question of road quality, the officials listed a series of initiatives aimed at tackling long-standing concerns about premature wear and tear of highways.

He said the Ministry has adopted Automated and Intelligent Construction practices, operationalised the NHAI One App for geo-tagged defect monitoring, and integrated drone-based analytics with AI and machine learning to periodically evaluate progress and quality of works.

“Mobile Quality Control Vans equipped with non-destructive testing equipment have been deployed on a pilot basis in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha and Karnataka. Independent third-party audits are also being undertaken on case-to-case basis,” said the official.

The official emphasised that newer construction technologies are being scaled up, including precise concrete technology, soil stabilisation methods, recycling of old pavement and the use of materials such as ultra-high strength fibre reinforced concrete, glass fibre polymer rebars and geosynthetics.

These, he said, are expected to enhance durability and reduce maintenance costs in the long run.

On the issue of maintenance, the official underlined that highway upkeep is treated as a continuous exercise. Concessionaires in PPP projects are responsible during the concession period, while contractors handle defect liability in EPC projects.

For stretches where these obligations have ended, the Ministry has adopted performance-based maintenance contracts spanning five to seven years, besides short-term contracts of one to two years for immediate repairs.

The government’s strategy, the ministry stressed, is not only to expand physical capacity through new roads and EV facilities but also to embed technological innovation in both construction and maintenance, so that quality is not compromised as traffic volumes grow.