Fast Charging Is Changing the Road Ahead for Indian EVs
As of early 2025, India's public EV charging network stood at more than 26,000 stations, five times the number in 2022 at slightly more than 5,000 stations, showing a fast scale-up of infrastructure to keep pace with demand.
October 09, 2025. By News Bureau
Over the last few months, EVs have returned to triple digit year-on-year growth, nearing 5 percent of new car sales. In parallel, EVs are moving from being the “secondary car” to becoming the primary mode of transport for EV owners. The recently launched ‘India Charging Report 2025’ shows that for over 80 percent of Indian EV owners, EVs are the primary car at home. On average, EVs are driven more days per month compared to ICE cars, and EVs cover a whopping 40 percent more distance per month compared to ICE cars. Despite being less than 1 percent of all personal vehicles in India, EVs have also already plied on 95 percent of India’s network. Two factors lie behind this incredible transformation – 1) world-class, long-range vehicles, and 2) widespread charging infrastructure.
Fast Charging: Enabling the Long-Distance EV Lifestyle
For years, range anxiety loomed over the idea of buying an EV. The worry was always the same: what happens if the battery runs out mid-journey? The exponential growth of charging infra is now putting this anxiety to rest.
As of early 2025, India's public EV charging network stood at more than 26,000 stations, five times the number in 2022 at slightly more than 5,000 stations, showing a fast scale-up of infrastructure to keep pace with demand. On highways, 91 percent have at least one fast charger within a 50 km radius. In states such as Karnataka, Delhi, Kerala, and Punjab, the coverage is already universal for the entire highway network. India’s public charging network also includes over 14,000 DC fast chargers, which can provide a top-up in as little as 30 minutes to enable seamless journeys across the country.
Real-world experiences show the impact that public fast charging infra is having in making EVs the primary cars at home. Social media posts show EV owners comfortably travelling 500 km or more along routes such as Delhi–Manali, Bangalore-Chennai or Mumbai–Goa with no wasted time. Charging stops simply fit into the journey—at eateries or highway outlets every few hours, making something previously perceived as impractical, now seamless and effortless. The proliferation of fast chargers at such stops eliminates worry, generates confidence, and promotes EV adoption for longer distance travel. The evidence is in the numbers. Approximately 35 percent of Tata EV owners are regularly using public fast chargers—up from around 21 percent two years ago. Nearly 50 percent of Tata EV owners have taken a 500+km long trip in the last year, with public charging stops, proving that EVs are no longer city cars or secondary cars, when coupled with fast charging.
Fast Charging as a Critical Imperative for EV Adoption
The growth in fast charging infrastructure is the consequence of aggressive investments, as well as supportive state-level policies. The states that rank highly in deploying fast charging infrastructure are also the leaders in EV adoption. For example, Delhi, Karnataka, and Kerala, the market leaders in charger deployments, also enjoy high EV penetration levels, with Delhi already exceeding 11 percent. This significant correlation shows that fast charging is a critical imperative and enabler for EV adoption. With this insight, States should leverage PM E-DRIVE to prioritise the development of public fast charging infrastructure along key highways, as well as in key cities, to drive the next wave of EV adoption.
Future of Fast Charging
As EVs pack in more range, and as the late majority of car buyers enter the market for EVs, expectations for public fast charging will continue to rise. Customers will be more selective when it comes to charging speed, reliability and convenience. For Charge Point Operators (CPOs), OEMs as well as States, catering to these evolving customer requirements will be an imperative to meeting their goals.
High quality chargers offering high uptime, safety, and easy payment systems show a way ahead for the charging ecosystem. For example, the TATA.ev Verified Chargers, which are pre-tested for speed, security and compatibility with Tata EVs, have shown a remarkable 37 percent increase in utilisation, providing a clear breakeven to CPOs. Large format charging stations offering up to 120 kW charging speeds, such as the TATA.ev MegaChargers, prevent customer apprehensions of long charging times as well as long wait times (similar to CNG pumps). Easing charging transactions through UPI would make the entire process seamless, and more accessible to a wider section of EV owners. It is also necessary to ensure that they become greener to realise the full potential of zero emissions mobility.
In summary, establishing a green, reliable fast charging network is the key to India's aspiration of achieving a 30 percent EV penetration by 2030. If all EV ecosystem players come together, fast charging infra can lay the groundwork for mass adoption of EVs.
- Balaje Rajan, Chief Strategy Officer, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd.
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