How India's EV push will impact existing grids

As India’s EV push continues, Radhika Dave takes a look at how legacy players and startups are looking at building infrastructure for EVs, and what this will mean for the electricity grids in the medium to long term.

- Radhika Dave

India’s decade-old EV journey has been steadily positive so far despite the occasional hiccup. Indian consumers have taken to the electric vehicle with gusto with EV sales in India hitting 1.17 million units in FY23 and charging past 1,00,000 for six months in a row, but there are worries about India’s EV charging infrastructure and the impact it will have on electricity grids in the medium term and beyond, especially if demand exceeds supply.

Amidst this backdrop, Tata Power, one of the largest private power companies in India’s financial capital maintains a cheerful disposition. Company officials have stated that the impact of electric vehicles on grids is ‘minuscule in terms of kilowatt units’ and that the company does not foresee any grid challenges at the moment.

Virendra Goyal, Head-Business Development-EV Charging at Tata Power says that distribution companies (DISCOMS) are already working on this front and the MOP circular dated Feb 10, 2022 states that “DISCOMs may leverage on funding from the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) under ‘Part A – Distribution Infrastructure’ for the general upstream network augmentation necessitated due to the upcoming charging infrastructure in various areas. The cost of such works carried out by the DISCOMs with financial assistance from Government of India under Revamped Scheme shall not be charged from the consumers for Public Charging Stations for EVs.”

Expanding the network