Karnataka Adds 3 New EV Charging Amenities along National Highways during FY 2024-25, boosting the state’s highway electrification push. However, the additions take the total number of operational Wayside Amenities (WSAs) with EV charging facilities to only four, leaving Karnataka behind several leading states.
Three New Facilities Added in FY 2024-25
Data shared by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in the Rajya Sabha on August 5 shows Karnataka had no operational EV-equipped WSA before FY 2023-24. The state commissioned its first facility that year and added three more in FY 2024-25. No new WSA with EV charging became operational in FY 2025-26.
The three facilities represent Karnataka’s biggest recent expansion in integrated highway EV infrastructure. Yet, its total remains modest nationally.
Karnataka Trails EV Highway Leaders
Rajasthan leads India with 20 operational WSAs equipped with EV chargers, followed by Haryana with 18. Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have 10 each, while Madhya Pradesh has six and Tamil Nadu has five. Karnataka, with four facilities, is ahead of Andhra Pradesh and Assam, which have three each.
Nationwide, EV charging stations have been commissioned at 84 operational WSAs. Of these, 83 were operational up to FY 2025-26, while one additional EV-equipped facility became operational during FY 2026-27.
Highway Charging Expansion Planned
Karnataka Adds 3 New EV Charging Amenities as NHAI plans further expansion. In May, NHAI announced plans for more WSAs along strategic sections of NH-48, covering the Belagavi–Kolhapur, Tumakuru–Chitradurga and Chitradurga–Hubballi corridors.
Officials said WSAs are planned at 40-60 km intervals on National Highways and Expressways, subject to suitable land and economic viability.
More Than EV Chargers
These WSAs are designed as integrated travel hubs rather than standalone charging points. Alongside EV charging stations, they can provide restaurants, toilets, drinking water, parking, fuel stations, medical assistance, and short-term accommodation for motorists and truckers.
The highway WSA count should not be confused with Karnataka’s broader EV charging infrastructure. The state is among India’s public EV charging leaders, with over 5,700-6,000 chargers, mostly in cities and commercial locations.
What It Means for EV Drivers
Karnataka Adds 3 New EV Charging Amenities, while expansion could reduce range anxiety on intercity routes. However, the Ministry said no study has assessed the impact of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model used for WSAs on rural entrepreneurship or local economic growth.
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