Electric vehicle (EV) users in India may soon find charging their vehicles far less complicated. The government is reportedly planning a common platform that would allow EV owners to use multiple charging stations without downloading separate apps or dealing with different payment systems.
At present, EV users often have to rely on different mobile applications for different charging operators, creating confusion during travel and daily use. The proposed system aims to simplify that experience through a more standardised and connected network.
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A UPI-like system for EV charging
According to the report, the government is working on a system similar to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), where EV owners could access charging stations from different operators through a single interface. The move is expected to reduce dependency on multiple charging apps and make the process smoother for users.
The proposed model would allow interoperability among charging networks, meaning customers may not need separate registrations or wallets for different charging providers. This could help address one of the biggest concerns among EV users: fragmented charging infrastructure.
Currently, many charging companies operate through their own dedicated applications and payment systems. This often forces EV owners to install several apps, maintain separate balances, and search manually for compatible chargers.
Users have also raised concerns over unreliable charger status updates, connectivity issues, and payment complications. Discussions among EV owners online frequently highlight the inconvenience caused by having no single platform to access all charging stations.
One user wrote, “Downloading a billion apps and loading it with money for unreliable chargers is a bit of a hassle.”
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Push to strengthen EV charging infrastructure
The government has already been expanding EV charging infrastructure under the PM E-DRIVE scheme. Operational guidelines have been issued for the rollout of nearly 72,300 public charging stations across cities and highways.
Charging stations are expected to come up at public locations such as railway stations, airports, hospitals, malls, metro stations, bus depots, parking lots, and highways. The plan is aimed at improving accessibility and encouraging wider EV adoption across the country.
The proposed unified system is expected to work alongside this expanding infrastructure, potentially making public EV charging more convenient and easier to access for users nationwide.
