Delhi Residents Hesitant to Buy Electric Cars as MCD Falls Behind on Charging Stations

New Delhi: Delhi’s Municipal Corporation (MCD) has lagged significantly in setting up electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, raising concerns among potential buyers and slowing the adoption of electric cars in the capital.

Falling Short of Targets
Under Delhi’s EV promotion plan, various agencies were tasked with establishing charging stations across the city. The MCD was assigned the goal of setting up around 1,000 charging stations. However, so far, it has managed to construct only 422 stations—less than half the target. While the MCD currently operates approximately 420 parking sites, not all of these have functional charging points.

Shortage Impacting Public Adoption
The lack of readily available charging stations has been a key reason many Delhi residents hesitate to invest in electric cars. Ideally, there should be a charging station every three kilometers, a standard that Delhi has yet to meet. Most of the MCD’s 12 zonal offices have either very few or no EV charging stations at all, with only a few exceptions.

Collaboration with Government-Linked Company
A senior MCD official explained that the Corporation has partnered with a government-affiliated company responsible for identifying suitable locations for charging stations. Once the company provides a list of locations, MCD allocates the necessary space for installation. The official noted that all locations identified so far have been equipped with charging stations, and future locations will be developed as the company submits the next list.

With the ongoing expansion of EV infrastructure, authorities hope to restore public confidence and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in Delhi.