The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has amended the Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) for the electric vehicle (EV) public charging stations component of the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) program.

According to MHI’s revised guidelines, domestic manufacturing of charger enclosures or panels, internal wiring harnesses, and IS/IEC 60309 connectors must have commenced by December 1, 2021.

Software/mobile applications for the Open Charge Point Protocol, as well as the central server, must be developed indigenously from the same date.

Auxiliary power supply, DC meters, and output switchgears, such as DC contactors, relays, voltage/current isolators, fuses, must have been domestically manufactured from June 1, 2022.

The effective date for the indigenization of manufacturing of RFID, which includes the assembly of electronic components/semiconductors on the PCB, input and output switchgears, and an AC Energy Meter, was determined as July 1, 2022. The same date will apply to the production of output switchgears in the form of AC contactors.

The domestic manufacturing of Type 2 AC Charging Guns was kept at 1, 2023. The indigenization of DC charging guns and charger controllers, which include electronic controllers for communication with EVs, charge control, backend communication, and other functions, would be considered mandatory from June 1, 2024.

The final phase includes the domestic production of power electronics or modules, such as AC-to-DC converters, which must commence by December 1, 2025.

MHI also stated that the public charging stations must comply with the prevailing PMP as of the date of the purchase order, at the time of supply of each lot under the PM E-Drive program.

They must comply with the technical requirements as per IS:17017, as tested and certified by MHI’s testing agency.

The import of EVPCS PMP components in a completely knocked-down kit form (from a single supplier) will not be permitted.

The updated PMP guidelines will also apply to any public charging stations covered under the government’s FAME-II program that have not yet been supplied.

Recently, the Ministry issued a notification for the PM E-DRIVE program, offering demand incentives for electric trucks (e-trucks).

The Ministry mandated a 100% domestic content requirement for 18 EV components under the two-wheeler, three-wheeler, and e-buses segments to avail of subsidy under the PM E-DRIVE program.