DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand has emerged as the leading Himalayan state in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with 221 stations installed over the past five years, the state government said.
The network comprises 84 fast chargers and 137 standard chargers.
Transport Minister Pradeep Batra said EV ownership was also rising rapidly. The number of registered electric vehicles in Uttarakhand has reached 1.04 lakh, with more than 58,000 added in the past three years alone.
“As EV numbers grow, we are continuously expanding the charging network. Uttarakhand is significantly ahead of other Himalayan states in charging infrastructure,” Batra said.
Official figures show Jammu and Kashmir has 180 charging stations, Himachal Pradesh 133, Meghalaya 62, Manipur 58, Tripura 55, Sikkim 12 and Ladakh one.
Taken together, the figures place Uttarakhand comfortably ahead of its mountain peers despite the challenges of building charging facilities across difficult terrain and dispersed settlements.
Officials said the wider network would ease range anxiety for residents, commercial operators and visitors, while supporting cleaner travel in a state where tourism and pilgrimage generate heavy seasonal traffic.
The state aims to build a robust, extensive and convenient charging grid, with particular focus on fast-charging facilities along busy tourist corridors and the Char Dham pilgrimage routes.
Another 61 charging units have been set up under the Centre’s FAME-II scheme. The focus on high-traffic routes is intended to make intercity journeys more practical and ensure charging access during the Char Dham season, when vehicle movement rises substantially.
Officials said fast chargers were important because they reduce waiting times for vehicles. Minister Batra said the policy extended beyond charging facilities to electrifying public transport.
State transport corporation buses would be converted to electric power in phases, while the government was also examining ways to retrofit older buses as electric vehicles.
“Green mobility will be a key pillar of Uttarakhand’s future transport system. Promoting EVs will help reduce pollution and fuel dependence, protect the environment and make the state cleaner and greener. The government is taking concrete steps towards these goals,” he told TNIE.
A transport department spokesperson said efforts were underway to ensure charging stations received adequate power load. Electricity demand is expected to rise sharply as EV use expands across the state.
"EV-related electricity consumption currently stands at about 15.7 lakh units annually. It is projected to rise to 23.6 lakh units in 2026-27, 74.4 lakh units in 2027-28, and 234.8 lakh units in 2028-29," a spokesperson for the Transport Department told this daily.