A reality-check by India Today reporters found numerous electric-vehicle charging stations in Delhi are non-functional or poorly maintained.
The findings highlight a critical gap between the Delhi government's policy ambitions and the actual state of infrastructure. Without reliable charging points, the transition to electric vehicles may stall as drivers face unpredictable access to power.
The state EV policy promises more than 30,000 charging points across Delhi [1]. However, on-ground inspections at high-profile locations suggest a failure in implementation and maintenance.
At the Central Secretariat station near Parliament, five out of six charging points were found to be out of service [2]. This lack of availability persists in other key areas of the city, including the Tal Katora Stadium and Raj Ghat.
At Tal Katora Stadium, three out of four chargers are non-functional [3]. Reporters said these stations have hazardous open gearboxes [3].
The situation at Raj Ghat is more severe, as all chargers at that location are non-functional [4]. These failures contradict the government's public commitments to a robust EV ecosystem.
The discrepancy stems from inadequate maintenance of the infrastructure despite the overarching EV Policy commitments [5]. The reports indicate that while the government focused on the number of promised points, the operational status of existing hardware has been neglected.
“Five out of six charging points are out of service at the Central Secretariat station.”
The failure to maintain existing EV infrastructure suggests that the Delhi government's strategy may be prioritizing the announcement of targets over the operational sustainability of the network. For a city aiming to lead in green transport, the presence of hazardous or broken equipment creates a 'reliability gap' that can discourage private citizens from switching from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles.
