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Delhi Needs 36,000 EV Charging Points, Has Only 9,000; NCR Gaps Persist

Capital targets 16,070 charging points by year-end; over 7,300 additions planned across NCR

New Delhi: Delhi currently has 8,990 EV charging points against a requirement of 36,177, leaving a shortfall of 27,179 charging points. The Delhi government has set a target to increase the total number to 16,070 by the end of this year, according to action plans submitted to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

Of the 8,998 charging points currently operational in Delhi, 8,849 are under the transport department and 149 under the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Plans for this year include installing six charging points each at Anand Vihar and New Ashok Nagar RRTS stations, and 166 at Delhi Metro stations. Across Delhi and neighbouring NCR districts, authorities are targeting the addition of over 7,300 charging points by the end of the year, with the majority planned in the capital.

Neighbouring NCR cities also face infrastructure gaps. Gurgaon and Faridabad currently have no public EV charging points against requirements of 20 and 26, respectively. Noida has 69 charging points against a requirement of 150, while Greater Noida has three and requires 16. Ghaziabad has 128 charging points against a requirement of 450, resulting in a gap of 334, though it plans to add 100 by December 31. Other cities, including Meerut, Sonepat, Alwar and Bharatpur, also report shortfalls compared to assessed requirements.

Battery-swapping infrastructure remains below target as well. Delhi has 948 battery-swapping stations against a requirement of 1,606, with plans to scale up to 1,268 by the end of 2026.

Transport emissions continue to play a significant role in Delhi’s air pollution. According to the Centre’s Decision Support System, the transport sector has been the major source of local pollution during the winter season. A 2018 TERI-ARAI study attributed 38.8% of PM2.5 pollution in Delhi to transport, while a SAFAR study the same year estimated vehicular emission load contribution at 41%.

Experts emphasised that infrastructure expansion must align with demand. Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director (Research and Advocacy) at the Centre for Science and Environment, said achieving zero tailpipe emissions would require a cohesive charging ecosystem, including dedicated charging hubs and expanded battery-swapping facilities. She also highlighted the need for ‘Right to Charge’ regulations to prevent obstruction of charger installation in residential parking spaces and called for EV-ready provisions in new buildings.

Amit Bhatt, India Managing Director at the International Council on Clean Transportation, noted that charging requirements are based on vehicle density and stressed the importance of destination charging at homes and workplaces. He added that new charging infrastructure should be deployed where demand exists and safeguarded against vandalism.

A CAQM official said the commission will monitor and review progress on the action plans submitted by Delhi and NCR cities, each of which has set individual targets.