Centre clears 498 new EV charging points for TN

Madurai: Tamil Nadu’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging network is set to expand after the Union government sanctioned 498 charging points under the PM E-DRIVE scheme, adding to the state’s existing network of around 1,800 public charging stations.The approval is expected to improve charging access across cities and national highway corridors as EV adoption spreads beyond Chennai into tier-two cities.Tamil Nadu has an estimated public charging station-to-EV ratio of one station for every 135 registered electric vehicles, better than the national average. However, charging availability remains uneven outside major urban centres, particularly along inter-city routes used by private vehicles, taxis, and commercial travellers.The new charging points are expected to be installed along key corridors, including the Chennai–Nagercoil national highway, covering major nodes such as Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Nagercoil.Madurai-based EV user R Prakash welcomed the move, saying it would encourage long-distance travel. “The new charging points will help reduce range anxiety among EV users, especially car owners, as they are expected to come up along highway stretches,” he said.

Tamil Nadu has been allocated ₹34.6 crore for the 498 charging points, translating to about ₹6.9 lakh per charger, lower than the national average of ₹10.3 lakh. By comparison, Kerala has been allocated about ₹18.8 lakh per charger, Karnataka ₹9.9 lakh and Uttar Pradesh ₹8.6 lakh.EV infrastructure consultant S Arvind said the difference in funding should not be viewed solely as a matter of allocation. “The subsidy depends on the type and capacity of chargers, site category, and whether the funding covers only upstream infrastructure or also the charging equipment,” he said.

“A 50kW DC car charger, an AC two-wheeler charger and a high-capacity bus charger involve very different project costs.

”Officials said the chargers approved for Tamil Nadu in the current phase are intended for two-wheelers and cars, with no bus or truck charging stations included. Arvind said this could explain the lower per-unit funding sanctioned for the state.