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The use of electric vehicles is increasing rapidly in India. Along with this, the EV charging network is also continuously expanding across the country. Now charging stations for electric cars are easily available on highways and big cities. Information about their location and availability is also visible on the apps of most companies.

But the real problem comes to light when you reach the charging station and the charger installed there does not work. At some places the charger is found offline, at some places there is a fault in the charging gun. At some places a station is present, but the local staff does not have complete information about its operation or its condition.

Recently, a similar experience came to light during a journey of about 1,200 kilometers from Bhuj to Delhi in MG ZS EV. This journey made it clear that long distance travel by EV is now possible, but relying only on the range of the car is not enough. It is important for you to know the location of the charging station as well as its actual condition.

Charging becomes biggest challenge from Bhuj to Jodhpur

This journey was done from Bhuj to Jodhpur, then from Jodhpur to Jaipur and finally from Jaipur to Delhi. MG ZS EV during this period gave a real-world range of about 380 kilometers.

Most of the charging stations of Hindustan Petroleum i.e. HP were seen on the way between Bhuj and Jodhpur. Their location was also available on MG e-Hub app.

Initially, it was a relief to see that charging stations were visible almost every 40-50 kilometres. It seemed that the problem of charging EV during long journeys has now been resolved to a great extent.

But after starting to use charging stations, the picture looked different.

Nearly 6 out of 10 chargers were found to be in some problem or the other.

Out of about 10 charging stations found during the trip, there were about 6 such where some kind of problem was encountered. Some chargers were offline, some had charging guns not working and some had technical faults.

Such a situation can create great difficulty in EV travel. Because the charger appears available on the app and the driver reaches there on that trust. But after reaching there, if the charger is found switched off then the battery and distance have to be recalculated to reach the next station.

This not only wastes time but also increases the range anxiety of the driver.

Charger at petrol pump, but staff not aware

Another big problem came to light during this journey. Charging stations were present at some HP petrol pumps, but the employees present there were not fully aware about the status of the charger.

At some places, the staff was not very familiar with the process of operating the charger. In such a situation, problems may increase for the EV owner traveling long distances for the first time.

The experience regarding customer support was also not good everywhere. There was no timely response from the numbers given for help at some charging stations.

In such a situation, the question arises whether just installing the charger on the highway is enough? Or does it also require 24×7 operation, regular maintenance, trained staff and fast customer support?

Experience improved after reaching Jodhpur

After the trouble from Bhuj to Jodhpur, the charging experience was much better. The charging networks of Tata Power, Statiq and Jio-bp proved useful in Jodhpur.

Fast chargers ranging from 50 to 80 kW were available here and they were working properly. The charging infrastructure between Jodhpur and Jaipur also appeared relatively better.

The range of MG ZS EV also helped well in this part. The car reached Jaipur from Jodhpur in a single charge, so there was no need to charge on the way.

Most of the journeys between Jaipur and Delhi are also easy.

There was no major problem regarding charging even in the journey from Jaipur to Delhi. However, a technical fault was seen in an Indian Oil e-Charger on the Mumbai Expressway.

On the other hand, Tata Power's fast chargers were found to work and made the journey much easier.

One thing becomes clear from this that along with the availability of the charging network, its reliability is also equally important.

What is the real challenge of EV charging network?

EV charging infrastructure is growing rapidly in India. There are now more charging options available on long distance highways than ever before.

But the current challenge is not just to increase the number of charging stations. The most important thing is that the chargers that have been installed should be operational and ready for use at the time of need.

For an EV user, knowing the location of the charging station is not enough. He should also know whether the charger is actually working or not, whether a charging gun is available or not and whether assistance will be available if needed.

Keep these things in mind before taking a long journey by EV

If you're planning to travel long distances by electric car, it's better to be aware of the many charging options available along the way rather than relying on just one app.

• Make complete planning of charging stations before starting the journey.
• Be sure to look for alternative chargers at major stops.
• Do not rely solely on the availability shown on the app.
• Keep adequate battery reserve for long distance journeys.
• Check the availability of fast charger on the highway in advance.
• Where possible, check the latest status of the charging station or user updates.

Need a reliable charger, not just more chargers

This journey of about 1,200 kilometers makes it clear that traveling long distances with an EV in India is no longer as difficult as before. The charging network has expanded and good facilities are also available at many places.

But to make EVs truly convenient for long distances, just installing new charging stations will not be enough. Equal attention will have to be paid to maintenance, uptime, trained staff and reliable customer support.

After all, EV users need more than just assurance that there is a charger within the next 50 kilometres. He needs assurance that when he gets there, the charger will still be working.