Bhubaneswar, Nov 4: Odisha is stepping up efforts to promote electric vehicles (EVs) and strengthen public charging infrastructure, with both the Centre and the state government taking initiatives to expand the charging network.

Under the Centre's PM E-DRIVE scheme, approval has already been granted for setting up 170 EV charging stations in seven major cities of Odisha. In the second phase, a proposal has been submitted for 290 additional public charging stations across 13 cities and various national and state highways.

The proposed locations include Rourkela, Talcher, Sambalpur, Paradip, Barbil, Belpahar, Berhampur, Brajrajnagar, Chhatrapur, Jharsuguda, Joda, Keonjhar and Rajgangpur.

The proposal also includes 68 wayside amenity centres under the Tourism Department, along with important locations along major highways, including the economically significant Paradip–Barbil corridor.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has been appointed as the project implementation agency for the central initiative. Before final approval of the proposed locations, a team of experts led by BHEL General Manager J.K. Patnaik will conduct field surveys to assess their feasibility and operational suitability.

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Apart from the Centre-sponsored initiative, the Odisha Commerce and Transport Department is taking steps to establish more than 500 additional EV charging stations across the state.

Of these, 24 charging stations are already operational in Bhubaneswar. The government is also planning to install charging points at important locations, Atal Bus Terminals and truck terminals to improve accessibility for EV users.

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Meanwhile, financial incentives and subsidies are being provided to encourage consumers to purchase electric vehicles under the Odisha Electric Vehicle Policy.

The combined expansion of charging infrastructure and purchase incentives is expected to address charging-related concerns among EV users and accelerate the transition towards cleaner and greener transportation in Odisha.