4,557 EV charging points set up on highways: Govt

According to government data, more than 29,000 public charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) have been installed across the country, including 4,557 along national highways, state highways and expressways.

The figures were shared by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), even as it set out a broader strategy for strengthening EV infrastructure and ensuring higher quality standards in highway construction.

An official said the Ministry of Heavy Industries had earmarked Rs 2,000 crore under the PM E-DRIVE scheme to create a nationwide network of public charging facilities, 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 standardisation,” the official explained.

While metro cities and certain developed highway stretches already have a growing presence of charging stations, the official acknowledged that the challenge remained to ensure equitable coverage across remote areas and less-trafficked corridors. Targets for 2025–26 would be aligned with demand patterns and the response from private operators during bidding rounds, he added.

Alongside EV infrastructure, the ministry highlighted several initiatives to address long-standing concerns over premature wear and tear of highways.

The official said automated and intelligent construction practices had been adopted, the NHAI One App had been operationalised for geo-tagged defect monitoring and drone-based analytics with AI and machine learning were being used to periodically evaluate progress and quality.

“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 a case-to-case basis,” he noted.

He further said that new construction technologies were being scaled up, including precision concrete technology, soil stabilisation methods, recycling of old pavement and the use of advanced materials such as ultra-high strength fibre-reinforced concrete, glass fibre polymer rebars and geosynthetics. These, he said, were expected to enhance durability and reduce long-term maintenance costs.

On maintenance, the official underlined that upkeep was treated as a continuous exercise. Concessionaires are responsible during the concession period in PPP projects, while contractors handle defect liability in EPC contracts. For stretches where these obligations have ended, the ministry has adopted performance-based maintenance contracts of five to seven years, along with short-term contracts of one to two years for urgent repairs.

EV charging points on highways cross 4,500; Centre pushes road quality upgrade