1. The Three-Wheeler Skew

At first glance, national EV numbers look incredible. But looking closer at state-by-state data uncovers a very different reality.

• National Surge: In the first five months of the 2026-27 financial year, EVs and hybrids made up 12.7% (16.5 lakh) of all newly registered vehicles in India. States like Keralam, Delhi, Karnataka, and Telangana are leading the charge, with EVs accounting for over 15% of their new registrations.
• The Commercial Catch: In states like Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, high EV numbers are almost entirely driven by commercial electric three-wheelers (e-rickshaws). If you remove three-wheelers, the actual share of personal electric cars in these states drops to a tiny 2% to 3%. Private citizens are simply not buying electric cars there yet.

2. The Charging Infrastructure Shortage

The biggest barrier keeping everyday people from buying electric cars is the severe lack of public chargers, especially outside big cities.

• The Charger-to-Car Gap: States seeing rapid EV growth are critically lagging in infrastructure. Assam has only one public charger for every 997 registered EVs. Bihar (one for every 975 EVs) and Uttar Pradesh (one for every 688 EVs) face a similar crisis, triggering intense “range anxiety.”
• Trapped in the Cities: Even in states with good numbers, infrastructure is heavily concentrated. Karnataka has roughly 6,000 charging stations, but about two-thirds of them are crammed into and around Bengaluru, leaving the rest of the state completely underserved.

India’s green mobility revolution is moving fast, but it is developing at two entirely different speeds. Without spreading charging stations evenly beyond big cities, the EV revolution will remain out of reach for most of the country.