The Central Government sanctioned Rs 800 crore under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME II) to three public sector oil-marketing companies (OMCs) for setting up ______public fast-charging stations across the country.

Solution

In a push for green mobility, the Central Government sanctioned Rs 800 crore under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME II) to three public sector oil-marketing companies (OMCs) for setting up 7,432 public fast-charging stations across the country.    In the first installment, the Ministry of Heavy Industries has released 70 per cent (Rs 560 crore) of the dedicated Rs 800 crore to Indian Oil Corporation (IndianOil), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) for installation and commissioning of upstream infrastructure and charging equipment of electric vehicle (EV) public charging stations at respective retail outlets.  According to the Ministry of Power’s guidelines, there must be at least one charging station every 25 kilometre (km) on both sides of a highway and at least one charging station for long-range and heavy-duty EVs every 100 km on both sides of a highway.    Under Phase II of FAME India, Rs 1,000 crore is allocated for the development of charging infrastructure.   The ministry has sanctioned 2,877 EV charging stations in 68 cities across 25 states/Union Territories. Further, 1,576 charging stations across nine expressways and 16 highways under Phase II of FAME India have been sanctioned.