Govt Plans Building 6,000 Km Of EV-Ready Highways On Golden Quadrilateral

The government is set to embark on a plan to construct electric vehicle-ready highways along the Golden Quadrilateral, a network of major city-connecting roads, with the aim of reducing fuel consumption and vehicular emissions through the implementation of electric intercity public transport.

Under the initiative named Vision 2030: PM Public Transport Sewa, the government plans to develop 6,000 km of electric highways over the next seven years. These highways will be equipped with charging infrastructure powered by green energy sources, facilitating the deployment of electric buses across the country.

The project is expected to coincide with the introduction of electric buses, creating an ecosystem for electric vehicles (EVs) in India. Discussions are underway to replace 8,00,000 old and polluting diesel buses with electric buses by 2030, with a breakdown of 2,00,000 for state transport undertakings, 550,000 for private operators, and an additional 50,000 allocated for school and employee transportation.

Push To Charging Infrastructure

The building of new electric highways is expected to boost the growth of charging infrastructure, urging more people to buy electric cars for their daily travel. However, the sales of electric cars last year fell below the aimed 100,000 units, reaching only 83,000 units. This shortfall is attributed to consumer worries about the limited range and insufficient charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.

The Golden Quadrilateral, India's longest highway network connecting major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, will witness the construction of e-highways, contributing to the government's efforts to reduce logistics costs and curb emissions in line with COP28 guidelines.

Electric highways provide an energy-efficient solution by supplying electricity to moving vehicles through overhead power lines. Berlin, Germany, currently hosts the world's longest e-highway, covering 109 kilometers and operational for public use.

Existing Highways To Be Converted

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways plans to float contracts for electrified highways to private companies under a build, operate, and transfer (BOT) model. Efforts are also underway to convert existing highways into e-highways by establishing sufficient charging stations for electric buses to operate between cities, promoting cost-effective green intercity public transportation. Funding for this initiative will be provided by the central and state governments.

In September last year, Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, expressed the government's interest in developing electric highways due to their economic viability. The power ministry may offer electricity at subsidized rates, while private investors could construct electric lines along designated routes. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) could implement an electric tariff system similar to the tolls currently payable on highways.