India will need additional 25,000 EV fast chargers in next 3 years: Exicom CEO

New Delhi: India would require at least 25,000 additional direct current (DC) fast chargers over the next three years to support the growth in electric vehicle sales, according to Exicom Tele-Systems CEO and Managing Director Anant Nahata.

"Over the next three years, I think India would need at least 25,000 more DC chargers," Nahata told PTI. His estimate factors in 60-80 per cent annual growth in the passenger vehicle segment, as well as the roll out of new electric buses and trucks.

"In the next three years, if we see 60-80 per cent growth in electric car sales every year, then this would be the number of additional DC chargers that will be required," he said.


Also Read: Delhi's EV charging infra registers 'record' expansion; total charging points over 10,000

"It is not just for the passenger vehicle sales; there are buses and trucks as well. The government is inducting 10,000 - 15,000 more buses under various schemes. That itself is a requirement of 2,000 to 3,000 DC chargers."

There are over 29,000 electric vehicle charging stations across the country, of which around 8,000 are fast-charging stations with DC chargers.

Nahata noted that utilisation of the DC charging network remains low, at around 5 per cent. Some charging locations have reported utilisation levels of 10-15 per cent and individual charging operators have also seen utilisation of up to 20 per cent at some of their better-performing sites.

Charging operators are currently focusing on improving utilisation alongside network expansion, after an initial phase of rapid infrastructure deployment.

Exicom supplies charging equipment for home, public and bus depot applications. It has supplied more than 1.5 lakh AC chargers and close to 5,000 DC chargers. Including exports, its total AC charger supply is estimated at around 2 lakh units.

Nahata noted that the company works with seven of the country's top 10 vehicle manufacturers and 17 of the top 20 charging point operators.

Also Read:Rs 600 for 1,000 km journey: Nitin Gadkari proposes Rs 3 per unit for EV charging at night and Rs 5 during the day to boost EV adoption

Exicom's EV business generated revenue of around Rs 290 crore in the previous financial year. The revenue from the segment has crossed Rs 100 crore in the September quarter. The company expects the business to grow 35-40 per cent annually, supported by the expansion of the electric vehicle market.

On localisation, Nahata said the company's chargers are around 60-70 per cent localised. Exicom locally designs and manufactures the main controller, which acts as the brain of a charger. Semiconductors and some chipsets continue to be imported.