NEW DELHI: As part of bringing in an electric vehicle revolution in India, the Modi government will set up charging points across the nation. Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has told Parliament that electric charging stations will be set up across the country in three phases. He was replying to a question by Telugu Desam MP Jayadev Galla during a question and answer session in Parliament. Apart from this, there are plans to use green energy for vehicle charging, the minister said.

Gadkari told parliament that solar power would be used mainly in public charging stations and wind energy will be used in places like Tamil Nadu to generate wind power. "Start-ups in the country would be given priority for setting up charging stations. Construction work on about 40 charging stations on highways was underway and all of them were using solar energy", the minister said.

In the first phase, charging stations will be built in cities with a population of 40 million or more, according to the 2011 census. The government plans to complete the construction within the next three years. In the second phase, the scheme will be extended to the Union Territory capitals and the state capitals. In the third phase, charging stations will be set up on 16 national highways and express highways. The Minister said that a consortium of Energy Efficiency Services Limited has been entrusted with the task.