📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Krishna Subrahmanyam
Automobile
Andhra Pradesh’s EV charging network lags behind booming electric vehicle demand
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 31 Oct 2026, 02:44 PM
👁 16
Electric vehicle sales are soaring across India, but Andhra Pradesh’s charging infrastructure remains uneven, leaving many owners without reliable access to power.
Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is accelerating nationwide, with sales figures hitting new highs and consumers increasingly opting for cleaner mobility. In Andhra Pradesh, however, the rapid rise in EV ownership has outpaced the development of a robust charging ecosystem, creating gaps that frustrate owners and deter potential buyers.
State officials acknowledge that public charging stations are concentrated in a few urban centres such as Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, while many smaller towns and rural areas lack even a single point of charge. The uneven distribution forces drivers to plan long trips around limited hotspots, often relying on home charging solutions that are not feasible for apartment dwellers.
The Andhra Pradesh government has announced plans to expand the network, offering subsidies to private operators and streamlining approvals for new installations. Industry players are also entering the market, but the rollout pace remains slower than the demand surge, leaving the charging landscape patchy for now.
Consumers report mixed experiences: while some enjoy convenient fast‑charging hubs in major cities, others face long queues or dead‑ends on less‑served routes. The gap underscores the need for coordinated policy action and investment to match the state’s EV growth trajectory.
State officials acknowledge that public charging stations are concentrated in a few urban centres such as Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, while many smaller towns and rural areas lack even a single point of charge. The uneven distribution forces drivers to plan long trips around limited hotspots, often relying on home charging solutions that are not feasible for apartment dwellers.
The Andhra Pradesh government has announced plans to expand the network, offering subsidies to private operators and streamlining approvals for new installations. Industry players are also entering the market, but the rollout pace remains slower than the demand surge, leaving the charging landscape patchy for now.
Consumers report mixed experiences: while some enjoy convenient fast‑charging hubs in major cities, others face long queues or dead‑ends on less‑served routes. The gap underscores the need for coordinated policy action and investment to match the state’s EV growth trajectory.