Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The government has been laying emphasis on electric vehicles (EVs), as besides saving fuel, the move is environmentally friendly. Recently, Assam and other states in the Northeast have witnessed an increase in the presence of EV cars. However, the number of adequate public charging stations in Assam and other states in the region is a genuine question. While on long drives, public charging stations are quite essential.
According to information available with The Sentinel, the eight northeastern states have only 562 public charging stations as of March 28, 2026.
According to statistics, Assam has the highest number of 311 public charging stations among its sister states in the region. Sikkim has the lowest number, with 11 public charging stations. The breakup of public charging stations in the six other states is 44 in Arunachal Pradesh, 50 in Manipur, 43 in Meghalaya, 13 in Mizoram, 36 in Nagaland, and 54 in Tripura. The highest number of 5,879 public charging stations is in Karnataka.
The smaller number of public charging stations in the Northeast is a problem for the owners of electric vehicles. Speaking to The Sentinel, a driver said, “My employer purchased an electric vehicle two years ago. We drove the car for over a year. My employer has to travel long distances for his professional works. As for the drive, the problem I face in long drives is charging stations. This problem led my employer to sell the car.”
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said, “EV charging stations have been provisioned as a mandatory facility in all Wayside Amenities (WSA) sites having an area greater than 1 ha. As of March 20, 116 WSAs are operational in India, of which EV charging stations have been commissioned in 68 of WSAs across nine states on the National Highways/Motorways.”
The Ministry of Power has issued ‘Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure – 2024’ in September, 2024. These guidelines, applicable to urban and rural areas, outline standards to establish an interoperable EV charging network.
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