Raja Syed Rather
Despite the Central government’s push for electric vehicle (EV) adoption, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is among the regions having the lowest numbers of public EV charging stations in the country. The Union Territory of Ladakh has only one such station.
According to government data presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, J&K has only 157 public charging stations, while Ladakh has just one, placing them far behind states like Karnataka (5,879) and Maharashtra (3,842).
The slow expansion of EV infrastructure in these regions raises concerns about the feasibility of large-scale EV adoption, particularly given the challenging terrain and harsh winters that impact battery performance.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Central government, to promote EV usage, has rolled out multiple schemes, including the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, FAME-II, and incentives for local EV manufacturing. However, the lack of adequate charging infrastructure in J&K and Ladakh remains a key hurdle.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is working on developing Wayside Amenities (WSA) along highways, which will include EV charging stations.
Nationwide, 50 such facilities are already operational, with a target of 700. However, details on their specific implementation in J&K and Ladakh remain unclear.
