Supreme Court Asks Government: How Will EVs Grow Without Charging Stations?

Supreme Court Flags Charging Infrastructure Gap

The Supreme Court has put the spotlight on the biggest bottleneck in India's electric vehicle story: charging infrastructure. A bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe, while hearing a case related to land allotment by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), observed that electric vehicles cannot grow if there are not enough charging stations.

Justice Narasimha noted that many people hesitate to buy electric cars because there is no clarity on where they can charge them — sharing that when he advised an acquaintance to buy an electric car, the response was that while EVs are good, charging remains the unanswered question. The Court's point was blunt: merely encouraging people to buy electric vehicles will not be enough without adequate supporting infrastructure.

The Numbers Behind the Concern

The Court's observation lands against a backdrop of rapid EV adoption outpacing infrastructure. Ministry of Heavy Industries data shows 52,718 public charging stations across the country as of July 2026, of which only 16,561 are fast chargers suitable for cars. That is roughly one public charger for every 46 EVs on the road — a ratio that forces most electric car owners to rely on home charging and plan highway trips around scarce fast-charging corridors.

Justice Narasimha even suggested that charging facilities should be made available at the Supreme Court itself, so a person parking an electric car there could charge it while a matter is being heard — a small suggestion that illustrates how far charging access still is from being taken for granted at everyday destinations.

States Are Moving, Slowly

Regulators are beginning to respond. The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission has proposed draft regulations requiring large buildings — those with 250 kW or more sanctioned load or over 5,000 square metres built-up area — to install a minimum of four EV charging stations, with connection timelines as tight as three days in metropolitan areas. Separately, the ChargeIndia aggregation platform has launched with more than 40 charge point operators across over 1,200 cities, letting users find and pay for charging across networks through one app with UPI.

The observation came in a MIDC land-allotment dispute over adjoining land for industrial expansion; the Court noted that land allocation for EV facilities was being considered under a policy, not arbitrarily, and suggested the petitioner engage with authorities on alternative plots. Track how this story develops on AUTOINDIA and compare electric cars on the Compare page.

What this means for you: if you are considering an EV, the Court has articulated your exact dilemma. Until charging density improves measurably, buy an EV only if you can charge at home or at your workplace — and check public charger coverage on your regular routes before committing.

(Sources: NewsX, 21/09/2026; Ministry of Heavy Industries data via EVreporter; Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission draft regulations, 21/09/2026; images: Shagil Kannur and iMahesh, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)