Govt plans 190 EV charging stations in 6 cities

Bhubaneswar: The state govt has proposed to the Centre to set up 190 electric vehicle (EV) public charging stations in six cities, the transport department said on Wednesday.The facilities will be developed under the PM electric drive revolution under the innovative vehicle enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme.“We have submitted a proposal to the ministry of heavy industries for setting up EV charging infrastructure at 190 locations in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Angul, Balasore, and Kalinganagar. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has been appointed as the project implementing agency,” a senior transport official said.A coordination meeting was held in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday between officials of the ministry, the state transport department, and BHEL to discuss the development of EV charging infrastructure under the PM E-DRIVE scheme. The meeting was attended by Amarendra Kishore Singh, director at the ministry of heavy industries; JK Pattanaik, general manager of BHEL; NBS Rajput, state transport secretary; and Amitabh Thakur, transport commissioner.“The ministry and BHEL have begun conducting site surveys to assess feasibility before final approvals and sanctioning of the proposed charging stations,” the official added.Currently, Odisha has around 100 public charging stations set up by the state govt across different districts.The PM E-DRIVE scheme, notified on Sept 29, 2024, has a total outlay of Rs 10,900 crore, with Rs 2,000 crore earmarked specifically for the development of EV public charging stations in the country. The initiative supports both upstream infrastructure and EV supply equipment, including chargers, to strengthen the national charging network—seen as crucial for addressing range anxiety and accelerating EV adoption.According to officials, once implemented in Odisha, the project is expected to significantly improve charging accessibility, reduce range anxiety, and foster a robust EV ecosystem in the region.