Gujarat ranks 12th on the list of states having maximum number of electric vehicles in India, with 17,593 such vehicles as of January 31, 2022, according to the data tabled in Lok Sabha earlier this week.
However, this represents less than 2% of the country’s total of 9,66,363 electric vehicles.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of EVs (2,76,217), followed by Delhi (1,32,302) and Karnataka (82,045). Some of the lesser developed states such as Assam (47,947 vehicles), Bihar (64,241) and Uttarakhand (25,451) have more electric vehicles compared to Gujarat.
According to the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries, under phase-I of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles in India, the government supported about 2.8 lakh electric vehicles with a Rs 359 crore incentive as part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020. (FAME India). On Phase 1, the ministry approved 520 charging stations worth Rs 43 crore.
Phase-II of FAME India provided incentives worth Rs 827 crore to 2,31,257 electric vehicles until February 1, 2022. Under Phase-II, the government has approved 2,877 charging stations in 68 cities, as well as 1,586 charging stations along nine expressways and 16 highways.
While no charging stations were built in Gujarat during Phase I, the state received approval for over 278 charging stations during Phase II. In addition, 10 charging stations have been installed on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway, with an additional 30 stations planned for the Surat-Mumbai expressway, which is currently under construction.
In June 2021, Gujarat announced an Electric Vehicle Policy that included subsidies for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and cars. Gujarat currently has 87 retail outlets with charging stations for electric vehicles.