We plan to make electric highway from Delhi to Jaipur: Nitin Gadkari

Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that the government is planning to build an electric highway from Delhi to Jaipur. He was speaking at the CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Award in Mumbai.

An electric highway is a network of roads or highways equipped with charging infrastructure designed specifically for electric vehicles (EVs). These highways typically feature charging stations or systems along the route to make long-distance travel more convenient for electric vehicle owners.

ET had exclusively reported in January this year that the government is working on a plan to develop electric vehicle-ready highways along the Golden Quadrilateral, as part of a major initiative to reduce fuel consumption and vehicular emissions through the electrification of intercity public transport. Sources told ET that the Centre aims to create 6,000 km of these highways.


The project is slated to roll out over the next seven years, with the goal of accelerating the adoption of electric mobility and facilitating the deployment of electric buses nationwide. These e-highways will feature green energy-powered charging infrastructure.

This initiative is part of the broader Vision 2030 - PM Public Transport Sewa program.

"The development of electric highways is likely to happen simultaneously with induction of electric buses accelerating the establishment of an ecosystem for EVs in India," a person with knowledge of the matter had told ET.

The new e-highways are expected to drive the growth of charging infrastructure, encouraging more people to purchase electric vehicles for daily commutes.

Last year, electric car sales reached 83,000 units, falling short of the target of 100,000. Many first-time buyers have been hesitant to choose electric vehicles as their primary mode of transport, largely due to concerns about range and the insufficient charging infrastructure in the country. As a result, consumers have tended to view EVs more as a secondary or tertiary option rather than their main vehicle.

Gadkari also noted on Saturday that the government also plans to make India top of the world in terms of biofuel while further announcing that the Centre is in works of a pilot project for an electric trolley bus in Nagpur, which is expected to reduce ticket prices by 30 per cent.