India needs to exponentially increase the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to power the potential 102 million EVs on the road in 2030. Reaching this target is essential to prevent a climate catastrophe and improve the unhealthy air quality for millions of Indians. A robust public charging network is essential for accelerating transportation electrification. India’s power utility distribution companies (DICOMs) are critical in scaling up charging infrastructure, as evidenced by countries with successful EV charging deployment.
Source: NRDC image from NITI Aayog and RMI data, 2019
With widespread transportation electrification, utilities and DISCOMs are evolving to do more than provide electricity. They are uniquely positioned to develop EV charging infrastructure and should be involved early in the planning process. As seen in the U.S., utilities can collaborate and take the lead in building charging infrastructure. In India, limited communication between utilities and charge point operators (charging service providers) is often responsible for slowing the development of charging infrastructure. DISCOMs should be involved with identifying potential charging sites; coordinating with landowners, permit offices, and regulators; and working with charge point operators. Another factor slowing EV deployment is the high upfront costs to build the charging infrastructure and connect to the grid. However, frontloaded investments into charging infrastructure and the grid by utilities can lead to large payoffs in the long term. Further, to ensure grid stability, it is important for DISCOMs to improve the utilization of the existing grid infrastructure and include EV charging loads into electrical network planning and expansion. While EVs are cleaner even with conventional grid power, pairing them with renewable energy can accelerate India’s decarbonization efforts.
Source: image adapted from FutureBridge, 2019
DISCOMs can help improve power demand management and increase integration of renewable energy through the following recommendations:
Communication is key to planning for charging infrastructure. By utilities establishing clear communication channels with other stakeholders they can help reduce costs. For example, utilities can share records on the hosting capacity of their distribution networks, with charging service providers to make the siting process simpler, faster, and accurate. Additionally, utilities can assign a single point of contact to service providers for each project. This helps keep a project on track, avoiding potential costly delays.
Adopt a forward-looking business and management approach. DISCOMs in conjunction with stakeholders should anticipate future grid and charging needs. Futureproofing requires balancing the extra cost incurred today against the savings that it can offer in the future. Utilities should install excess capacity when installing early chargers. This will help plan for the frontload investments and minimize costs when upgrades to upstream power infrastructure are later required. Additionally, while early utilization of charging infrastructure remains low, utilities should rationalize/annualize upstream power infrastructure costs instead of building everything upfront.
Improved flexibility and advanced grid integration are essential as India decarbonizes it economy, increases the share of renewable energy, and dramatically increases its overall energy demand. While EVs are only expected to be about four to five percent of the country’s total power generation capacity, it is important that they are effectively integrated in the grid to maintain reliable electricity. DISCOMs should encourage managed charging capability (charging at times when demand is low) and matching EV charging to hours when solar and wind generation is abundant. Utilities commonly employ time-of-day (TOD) tariffs to incentivize consumers to shift their charging from peak times to off-peak times. Smart charging, chargers with two-way communication, is becoming standard internationally. This allows utilities to lower the rate or turn off charging when the grid is strained.
Source: BluSmart India
Transitioning to EVs in India is a major opportunity for revving up the economy, spurring job growth, improving air quality, and reducing carbon emissions. A tremendous increase in public charging infrastructure from the current 1,800 public charging points to a network of over 2.9 million could create a massive market opportunity requiring cumulative investments of up to $2.9 billion (about Rs 20,600 crore) until 2030.
Arora is an electric mobility expert working as a consultant with NRDC based in New Delhi. Jessica Korsh is a climate health expert working with NRDC based in New York.
While much of the Western world is still figuring out how to get more people on electric bikes, China just flipped a switch, and the results are staggering. Thanks to a generous nationwide trade-in program rolled out around six months ago, China has seen an explosive surge in electric bicycle sales, with over 8.47 million new e-bikes hitting the road in the first half of 2025 alone.
The program, which offers subsidies to riders who trade in their old, often outdated electric bikes for newer, safer, and more efficient models, has sparked a new e-bike sale boom in a country already dominated by e-bike travel. In major provinces like Jiangsu, Hebei, and Zhejiang, over one million new e-bikes were sold in each region in just six months. That’s a tidal wave of e-bike sales.
The incentives vary depending on location and the model being traded in, but for many consumers, the subsidies cover a substantial portion of a new e-bike’s price – enough to turn a “maybe next year” purchase into a “right now” upgrade. And these aren’t just budget bikes either. The program has driven demand for higher-quality models with better batteries, safer braking systems, and more reliable electronics, accelerating both adoption and innovation across the industry.
The move has proven successful in replacing the millions of older models with lower-quality lithium-ion batteries that had posed safety risks around the country. Instead, China has pushed for higher-quality lithium-ion batteries, a return to a newer generation of higher-performance AGM batteries, and even interesting new sodium-ion battery options.
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Most e-bikes in China look more like what we’d consider seated scooters
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, more than 8.4 million consumers have participated in the e-bike trade-in program so far, contributing to a sales increase of 643.5% year-over-year and more than doubling sales month-over-month. Meanwhile, production of new electric bicycles rose by nearly 28%, as manufacturers scrambled to meet demand. The sales boosts have already been seen in the financial reports of major industry players like NIU.
And it’s not just the big players benefiting – over 82,000 small independent e-bike dealers reported average sales increases of ¥302,000 (around US $42,000), giving a serious boost to local economies.
What’s particularly striking here is how fast this happened. The program was officially launched late last year as part of a broader effort to stimulate domestic consumption and phase out outdated vehicles and appliances. But while most analysts expected gradual growth, the e-bike sector responded much more quickly. In less than a year, the trade-in subsidies have reshaped the electric bicycle market, creating a consumer-driven boom that shows no signs of slowing.
For those of us watching from outside China, it’s hard not to wonder what might happen if other countries tried something similar. While most families in Chinese cities already own an electric bike and thus see this as an opportunity to trade it in for a newer model, Western countries like the US are still figuring out how to stimulate commuters into buying their first e-bike.
It’s too soon to know exactly how long the boom will last or whether the momentum will carry into 2026 and beyond. We’ve seen bicycle industry bubbles grow and burst before. But one thing’s clear: with the right incentives, even modest ones, it’s possible to ignite real, large-scale change. China just proved it with nearly 8.5 million new e-bikes to show for it.
And if you’re wondering what it looks like when a country takes electric micromobility seriously, this is it.
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Today was the official start of racing at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! There was a tremendous energy (and heat) on the ground at NCM Motorsports Park as nearly a dozen teams took to the track. Currently, as of writing, Stanford is ranked #1 in the SOV (Single-Occupant Vehicle) class with 68 registered laps. However, the fastest lap so far belongs to UC Berkeley, which clocked a 4:45 on the 3.15-mile track. That’s an average speed of just under 40 mph on nothing but solar energy. Not bad!
In the MOV (Multi-Occupant Vehicle) class, Polytechnique Montréal is narrowly ahead of Appalachian State by just 4 laps. At last year’s formula sun race, Polytechnique Montréal took first place overall in this class, and the team hopes to repeat that success. It’s still too early for prediction though, and anything can happen between now and the final day of racing on Saturday.
Congrats to the teams that made it on track today. We look forward to seeing even more out there tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some shots from today via the event’s wonderful photographer Cora Kennedy.
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The numbers are in and they are all bad for Tesla fans – the company sold just 5,000 Cybertruck models in Q4 of 2025, and built some 30% more “other” vehicles than it delivered. It just gets worse and worse, on today’s tension-building episode of Quick Charge!
We’ve also got day 1 coverage of the 2025 Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix, reports that the Tesla Optimus program is in chaos after its chief engineer jumps ship, and a look ahead at the fresh new Hyundai IONIQ 2 set to bow early next year, thanks to some battery specs from the Kia EV2.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
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