New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the central government to submit a status report on the implementation of its electric vehicle (EV) policies, following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that claimed India has fallen significantly short of its EV adoption goals.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for an NGO, told a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh that the Centre had aimed to have 70 lakh EVs on Indian roads by 2020. However, as of 2025, the number stands at only 35 lakh—just half the original target.
Bhushan argued that the failure to provide adequate EV infrastructure has led to a continued reliance on fossil fuel vehicles, with over 26.6 crore such vehicles on the roads. This contributes to environmental pollution, increased fuel import costs, and climate change.
While the bench acknowledged the need for a status report—asking Attorney General R Venkataramani to respond within four weeks—it noted that EV adoption is also influenced by market dynamics and public trust. Justice Kant emphasized that India’s automobile industry is a major economic driver and employer, and that EV production depends largely on supply-demand trends.
“EVs are gradually gaining popularity,” the bench observed, but Bhushan contended that aside from modest purchase subsidies, little has been done to support the necessary infrastructure.
He pointed out that the 2012 policy had set a target of 2.27 lakh public charging stations across the country. To date, only about 27,000 have been installed. “Why can’t every parking lot be equipped with multiple charging stations?” he asked.
In response, the court instructed the Centre to detail the policy measures and infrastructure initiatives it has undertaken to promote EV usage and support EV owners.
