No Plans for Common Charging Platform for EV Scooters, Confirms Government

During the Parliament Winter Session, Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Krishan Pal Gurjar, announced that the government has no intentions to standardize charging ports for electric two-wheelers and this statement came in response to a query about whether the government was planning to develop common charging platforms for electric two-wheelers. Gurjar clarified that there are no plans to mandate standardized charging ports for electric scooters. Currently, each original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has its independent charging infrastructure.

In October, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) approved Ather Energy's standardized charging connector for light electric vehicles, making it the country's first indigenously developed AC and DC Combined Charging connector. Ather Energy, with plans to add 900 more charging stations by March 2024, has been in discussions with other manufacturers for the adoption of its charging connector as the standard.

The move toward a universal charging port standard intends to improve compatibility among OEMs letting customers to access a larger network of charging stations. However, with the government clarifying its position on universal charging port standards, each OEM will continue to set up its independent charging infrastructure, limiting cross-compatibility between electric scooter users and charging stations.

This decision presents challenges for consumers and OEMs as proprietary charging station software remains specific to each manufacturer hindering users from charging at competitor stations. For example, Ola Electric's proprietary Hyperchargers are designed for charging Ola scooters and may not be available for use by Ather Energy's users or other OEM platforms. The lack of standardization in charging ports for electric two-wheelers poses a unique situation in India's electric vehicle landscape where each manufacturer has developed its charging station software.