The popularity of electric vehicles or EVs has risen in the past few years. An excellent alternative to fuel–based vehicles, EV cars are environmentally friendly. These vehicles help you reduce your carbon footprint, and you do not have to worry about the rising fuel prices. In case you choose to purchase an electric vehicle, you should be well–informed about EV charging stations in India. Here’s everything you should know.

You can easily find public EV charging stations in India at dedicated charging stations set up by EV manufacturers. These manufacturers may also tie up with various car dealers and their service stations or enter into partnerships with shopping malls, tourist locations, and other public gathering spaces to offer EV charging facilities. You can easily locate your nearest electric car charging station in India via mobile applications that you can download on your smartphone. The apps allow you to find the direct route to the charging stations. Besides the apps, you can use google maps to find EV charging stations conveniently.

You must consider several factors before heading to any electric charging station in India.

• You should check your car battery’s current state, which should be no less than 25% SoC (state of charge), before selecting a charging station for your vehicle.

• You must check if the charging plugs at service stations are compatible with your vehicle. One way to do so is to research the charging stations’ facilities or simply call them and enquire before heading to the station.

• It typically takes about four to five hours to charge your vehicle entirely. You must check if the EV charging station allows you to leave the car there or whether you need to stay there while your vehicle gets charged.

• Some electric charging stations in India also provide overnight charging facilities. If you choose this option, you must ensure you check if the EV station has the proper security facilities such as on–duty guards, CCTV cameras, secure parking spots, etc.

• You must also enquire about the EV charging costs and the accepted payment modes before heading to an EV station.

Compared to the costs of conventional fuels, the electric car charging prices in India are lower. However, the costs you have to incur may differ based on the type of vehicle you wish to charge, the facilities provided at the charging station, such as attended vs unattended charging, day vs overnight charging, etc. The charging prices also depend on whether you choose regular or rapid charging ports. The latter may reduce the charging time considerably but cost you more.

Just like you need to buy car insurance for your petrol or diesel car, you are mandated by law to purchase insurance for your electric vehicles. Insurers typically offer third–party liability and comprehensive car insurance plans. While the former is inexpensive, the latter provides maximum coverage and protects your car from all sorts of legal and financial liabilities.