Question 1

Can a private CPO apply for PM E-DRIVE funding for a government building?

Accepted Answer

No. The eligible entities under PM E-DRIVE are Government of India ministries, CPSEs, states and union territories, and PSUs under them. They appoint a nodal agency that aggregates demand and submits the proposal to MHI. Where the chargers are to be installed and operated by a CPO, the CPO is selected afterwards through a transparent bidding mechanism decided by the state, ministry or CPSE concerned.

Question 2

What does a CPO pay to use government land for a charging station?

Accepted Answer

Under Clause 7 of the Ministry of Power’s 2024 charging-infrastructure guidelines, the land-owning agency receives a fixed ₹1 per kWh of electricity used for charging, paid quarterly, under an agreement initially entered for 10 years. That ₹1/kWh is the fixed rate where the CPO is itself a government or public entity, and a floor price discovered through bidding where the CPO is private.

Question 3

How much can a CPO charge drivers at a government site?

Accepted Answer

The total fee has four components under Clause 8: the electricity supply tariff as a pass-through, a service charge, the land cost as a pass-through per the registered land deed, and GST. The service charge is capped until 31 March 2028 at ₹3.00 per unit for AC and ₹11.00 for DC in solar hours (09:00–16:00), and ₹4.00 and ₹13.00 outside them, with a Central Electricity Authority committee reviewing the ceilings.

Question 4

Can chargers at a government office be reserved for staff and official vehicles?

Accepted Answer

Not where Category A funding has been used. That category’s 100% subsidy on both upstream infrastructure and the charger is granted on the written condition that the chargers are available to any private individual without restrictions. Departmental vehicles can still be given priority windows, their own rate plan and separate billing — but the bay cannot be closed to the public.

Question 5

How long does a deal for EV charging for government buildings take to close?

Accepted Answer

Plan in quarters, not weeks. The CAPEX-versus-OPEX decision is taken at Budget Estimate stage and the annual procurement plan goes on GeM within 30 days of budget approval; a PM E-DRIVE site additionally needs BHEL evaluation and MHI approval before any tender opens. The electricity connection is the fast part — 3 days in a metropolitan area and 7 in other municipal areas, rising to 90 days only where distribution mains must be extended or a substation commissioned.

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