Significant amount approved for adoption of electric vehicles in India

The finance ministry has approved a "sizeable amount" as provided for the second phase of the FAME India scheme, Union Minister Anant Geete said today.

"Provisions for a sizeable amount have been made in FAME II, the finance ministry has approved it. The biggest concern today is charging facilities for an electric vehicle. Therefore, we are providing charging facilities free of cost in public places and government offices to encourage people to adopt electric mobility," Geete said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch on September 7 the second phase of the FAME India scheme, offering incentives for mass adoption of electric vehicles with an outlay of Rs 5,500 crore, officials told PTI earlier.

The minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises said about 300 charging stations have been established till now for electric vehicles.

"We have accorded priority to public transport, especially buses, taxis, and three-wheelers, including auto-rickshaws (in FAME). Similarly, we are also seriously thinking about government vehicles (switching to electric vehicle technology)," Geete said.

The modalities of the scheme have been finalised by an inter-ministerial panel and it will soon be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval, sources said, adding that the prime minister will unveil the scheme at the inaugural session of the 'MOVE' -- a global mobility summit to be organised here on September 7-8 -- in the presence of several global CEOs from the automotive sector.

Besides, Geete inaugurated two charging stations, one for fast charging (DC) and the other for slow charging (AC), in Udyog Bhawan here today.

"Eight charging stations have been installed in the premises of Udyog Bhawan for facilitating charging of e-vehicles. Of the eight charging stations, two fast-charging stations have been installed by BHEL and six slow charging stations have been installed by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)," an official statement said.

The Department of Heavy Industry had allocated 455 electric buses to selected cities and special category states through the expression of interest recently. Further, the department has also approved funding of 130 electric buses in Ahmedabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Navi Mumbai.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)