SHIVAMOGGA: Karnataka has only four operational Wayside Amenities (WSAs) equipped with EV charging stations on its national highways. A WSA is a large, integrated highway travel hub that includes an EV charging station along with food courts, restrooms, parking, retail shops, medical clinics, and driver dormitories etc. Replying to an unstarred question from members, including Jaggesh, in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari stated that Karnataka has just four operational highway amenities offering EV charging facilities, with one commissioned in 2023-24 and three more in 2024-25.
The Centre said only 84 operational WSAs across the country currently have EV charging stations, underscoring the slow pace of charging infrastructure development along national highways even as EV adoption continues to gather momentum.
Rajasthan leads with 20 operational facilities, followed by Haryana with 18, while Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have 10 each. Karnataka’s four facilities place it well behind the leading states, while Kerala and Telangana have just one.
The ministry said Wayside Amenities are being developed through National Highways Logistics Management Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India, at intervals of about 40-60 km along NHs and expressways, subject to land availability and economic viability.
The facilities are designed to provide restaurants, toilets, drinking water, parking, fuel stations, EV charging stations, medical aid and short-term accommodation for motorists and truck drivers.