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India growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is driving a sharp increase in electricity consumption at Public Charging Stations (PCS). According to data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), total electricity consumption at public charging stations increased from 465.85 million units (MU) in FY24 to 1,558.69 MU in FY26, marking more than a threefold increase in two years.
Electricity consumption at public charging stations stood at 848 MU in FY25 and increased to 1,460 MU in FY26, registering growth of more than 72% in a year. The rise highlights increasing charging demand from both private and commercial EVs, including electric buses, trucks, high-capacity passenger coaches and commercial fleets.
In FY26, more than 74% of the total electricity consumed at PCS came from heavy-duty public chargers, primarily used by electric buses, trucks, high-capacity passenger coaches and commercial fleet vehicles. Light and medium-duty personal and commercial EVs accounted for around 26% of consumption. In FY25, heavy-duty vehicles accounted for around 70%, while light and medium vehicles contributed 30%.
PCS Data Does Not Cover Several States and UTs
The CEA data is not fully comprehensive. It does not include electricity consumption from public charging stations across all northeastern states, as well as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Union Territories of Puducherry, Chandigarh, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. According to the CEA, power distribution companies in these states and UTs did not provide the relevant information.
The CEA has highlighted that electricity consumption data from PCS is important for assessing the development of a reliable EV charging ecosystem, ensuring energy security, reducing emission intensity and identifying necessary policy interventions.
The data is also important for load forecasting, distribution system planning and integrated resource planning. As the EV charging network expands, distribution companies will need to understand the additional load created by EV charging and plan grid capacity accordingly.
Maharashtra Leads, While Delhi Share Declines
Maharashtra recorded the highest electricity consumption at public charging stations, at nearly 378 MU, accounting for around 26% of India’s total PCS energy consumption. It was followed by Delhi at 359 MU, Karnataka at 213 MU, and Telangana at 111 MU.
Delhi has witnessed a significant change in its share of national PCS electricity consumption. Its share declined from 43.61% in FY24 to around 27.9% in FY26. However, this does not indicate a decline in charging demand in the national capital.
In fact, Delhi PCS electricity consumption increased from 203.1 MU in FY24 to 453.3 MU in FY26. The decline in its overall share was mainly due to faster growth in PCS electricity consumption and charging infrastructure across other states.
The trend indicates that India’s EV charging market is no longer concentrated in a few major urban centres. Instead, multiple charging demand centres are emerging across different regions, driven by varying mobility patterns.
EV Charging Market Becoming More Regional
Nehal Gupta, Founder & MD, Accelerated Money for Upliftment (AMU) said India public EV charging market is undergoing an important transition. The sharp increase in PCS electricity consumption, combined with Delhi’s declining share and faster growth in states such as Karnataka, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, indicates that EV charging is becoming a more distributed market.
She said, “The evolution of India public EV charging market is increasingly becoming a story of regionalisation. Delhi played an important role in establishing the early charging ecosystem, but the fact that its share of PCS consumption has declined even as overall consumption has grown significantly tells us that the market is broadening rather than slowing. We are now seeing the emergence of multiple charging demand centres, each driven by different mobility patterns.”
According to Gupta, Karnataka and Telangana are examples of markets where urban EV adoption and commercial mobility are creating sustained charging demand. Uttar Pradesh, meanwhile, is particularly significant because of the sheer scale of its addressable mobility market.
The growth across PVVNL and DVVNL areas indicates that charging demand can develop meaningfully beyond traditional metropolitan centres.
For FY27, Gupta expects the focus to shift from simply expanding charging infrastructure to identifying areas where charging demand can remain sustainable over the long term.
She said commercial fleets, electric three-wheelers, inter-city mobility and higher EV penetration in emerging cities could become important drivers of charging demand. According to him, successful charging networks will ultimately be those that understand actual mobility patterns and build infrastructure around usage rather than simply focusing on infrastructure availability.
Quality and Economics of Charging Infrastructure to Matter
Karamveer Singh Dhillon, Co-Founder & CEO, Perpetuity Capital, said the rapid increase in PCS electricity consumption raises an important question for India’s EV ecosystem: as charging infrastructure expands, can utilisation and economics keep pace?
He said, “The EV charging market is reaching a point where the quality of growth will matter as much as the pace of growth. The increase in PCS electricity consumption is encouraging because it indicates that the infrastructure being created is increasingly being used. But from an investment perspective, consumption growth alone is not enough; we need to see how that translates into charger utilisation, asset productivity and sustainable unit economics.”
According to Dhillon, one of the most encouraging trends is the geographical diversification of charging electricity consumption. Delhi’s declining share, alongside rising consumption in Karnataka, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, indicates that the opportunity is no longer restricted to a handful of mature EV markets.
He identified Uttar Pradesh as a particularly important market to watch, given the sharp increase in PCS consumption across PVVNL and DVVNL areas.
For FY27, Dhillon expects greater focus on the commercial viability of charging assets. Growth in electric commercial fleets, inter-city mobility and higher utilisation of fast-charging infrastructure could create stronger demand.
He added that this could gradually make the sector more attractive for long-term capital, but capital allocation is likely to become more selective. The next phase of the EV charging industry, he said, will focus on identifying markets and business models where charging infrastructure can deliver predictable utilisation and sustainable returns.
High Uptime Will Be Critical as Charging Network Expands
Navneet Daga, Co-Founder & CEO, zenergize, said India PCS electricity consumption has more than tripled in two years, indicating that the country’s public EV charging ecosystem is moving beyond a few concentrated markets.
He said, “India's PCS electricity consumption has more than tripled in two years, indicating that India’s public EV charging ecosystem is now moving beyond a few concentrated markets, with increasing adoption and infrastructure development across states. As the network expands, the next phase of growth will depend not only on deploying more chargers, but on ensuring that these chargers remain operational and available when customers need them.”
According to Daga, high uptime, faster service response and reliable maintenance will become increasingly important as charging infrastructure expands into smaller cities and across highways.
He said a strong, geographically distributed network of trained service engineers will become a critical part of charging infrastructure. Such a network will not only help resolve technical failures but will also build customer confidence and support higher charger utilisation.
Delhi Share Declines Despite Higher Consumption:
Akshay Shekhar, Co-Founder & CEO, Kazam, said recent trends in electricity consumption at Public Charging Stations indicate that India’s EV charging ecosystem is expanding beyond its initial urban strongholds.
He said, “While Delhi’s share of PCS electricity consumption dropped from 43.61% in FY24 to approximately 27.9% in FY26, this does not imply a decline in total consumption; in fact, Delhi’s consumption rose from 203.1 MU to 453.3 MU, even as total PCS consumption surged from 465.85 MU to 1,558.69 MU during the same period. States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh have witnessed rapid expansion, signalling the next phase of EV adoption.”
According to Shekhar, the emergence of Karnataka and Telangana as major electricity-consuming states for EV charging is linked to their expanding charging infrastructure and maturing EV ecosystems.
Karnataka already has significant charging infrastructure and has received further support for additional chargers under the PM E-DRIVE scheme. The presence of EV startups, OEMs, fleet operators and digitally savvy customers is creating a compounding effect, where higher EV adoption drives charging demand, while better charging availability increases confidence among customers and fleet operators.
E-Rickshaws and Logistics Drive Charging Demand in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh rapidly growing role in PCS electricity consumption is equally significant. According to Shekhar, the growth is being driven by strong penetration of e-rickshaws and electric three-wheelers, the influence of the NCR region, logistics movements, highway and inter-city charging, and the increasing formalisation of charging loads.
In western Uttar Pradesh, cities such as Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut are benefiting from commercial and logistics activity. Meanwhile, areas around Agra, Mathura, Aligarh and Kanpur are contributing through tourism and inter-city travel.
Shekhar said, “For FY27, we anticipate that PCS power consumption could exceed 2,500-3,000 MU, depending on the pace of charger deployment and fleet electrification. India’s EV transition is rapidly evolving into a story about energy infrastructure; states that combine charger installation with reliable power, smart load management, high uptime, and interoperability will lead the next phase of growth.”
EV Sales Cross 2.5 Million Units in 2025
The increase in electricity consumption at public charging stations is closely linked to the growth of EV adoption in India. Total EV sales in India crossed 2.5 million units in 2025, registering year-on-year growth of around 24.6%. EVs accounted for nearly 8.5% of all new vehicle registrations during the year.
Strong growth across the electric two-wheeler, three-wheeler and passenger vehicle segments has played an important role in driving EV adoption. The government is also promoting EV adoption as part of its efforts to support cleaner transportation and achieve the country’s net-zero emissions target by 2070.
What Could Drive the Charging Market in FY27?
Several factors could support further growth in PCS electricity consumption during FY27. These include the expansion of electric commercial fleets, increasing adoption of electric buses and trucks, greater penetration of e-rickshaws and electric three-wheelers, inter-city mobility, highway charging and rising EV penetration in emerging cities.
At the same time, the size of the charging network alone will not determine the success of the sector. Charger utilisation, high uptime, smart load management, reliable power supply, interoperability and sustainable unit economics are likely to become equally important.
The increase in PCS electricity consumption from 465.85 MU in FY24 to 1,558.69 MU in FY26 shows that India’s EV charging demand is no longer limited to a few urban markets. While Delhi’s share has declined, its actual consumption has increased significantly, while Karnataka, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh are emerging as important charging demand centres. If charger deployment and fleet electrification continue at the current pace, PCS electricity consumption could cross 2,500-3,000 MU in FY27.
India EV transition is therefore no longer just a story about vehicle sales. It is increasingly becoming a story about power, charging infrastructure and energy management, with regional markets expected to play an even more important role in the coming years.
