India is riding the go electric wave with electric vehicle registrations nearing the 2 million mark in FY25—a 17% year-on-year growth.
The market is being propelled by increasing buyer interest, dazzling tech and comfort features, government policies, and the popularity of premium, feature-loaded electric SUV models from Tata Motors, Mahindra, MG Motor, BYD and Hyundai.
However, while the adoption of EVs is accelerating and encouraging, the user experience for charging these vehicles remains far from seamless and the reason why charging anxiety is now overtaking range anxiety as a recent study found.
One of the biggest hurdles for EV owners is the fragmented ecosystem of public charging networks with each requiring its own app and its payment methods.
This inefficiency not only discourages prospective EV buyers but also frustrates existing users.
According to a recent report, as of late 2024, India had 12,146 public EV charging stations operational and operated by multiple service providers.
And, this network is growing furiously as India adds more EVs on its roads and augments its public charging network to match pace.
Therefore, the need for one unified EV charging app for India has never been clearer.
And perhaps now is the time for the ecosystem stakeholders, OEMs, DISCOMS, charging service providers and highway operators, to team together to deliver one.
Let’s take a deep dive into why this is a must now.
Navigating the Maze of Charging Apps
Currently, EV owners in India have to juggle multiple apps for public charging because every service provider operates its own system.
Whether it is Tata Power, Fortum, Exicom, Zeon, ChargeZone, ChargePoint, Statiq, Adani, Jio-bp Pulse or any other operator, each app has its own registration process, payment wallet, and interface.
This fragmentation creates significant challenges for EV owners.
1. Repeated Registrations:
Say you’re on a road trip across India with your EV. You need to charge at different locations along the way.
With every use case, one encounters a charging station operated by a new service provider and must register on their app.
This involves entering personal details, email verification, and setting up passwords—repeatedly.
This not only wastes time but also adds unnecessary complexity to what should be a straightforward process.
2. Wallet Hassles:
Many charging apps require users to load money into their specific wallet to use their services.
For instance, if you have ₹500 left in one app’s wallet but arrive at a station operated by a different provider, your balance becomes useless.
You’re forced to preload another wallet, leading to multiple wallet top-ups and above all — frustration.
3. Real-Time Data Issues:
Often, these apps fail to provide accurate, real-time information about the status of chargers.
For example, a user might select a charging station marked as “available” on the app, only to arrive and find the charger occupied or out of service.
This results in wasted time, disrupted plans, and a leading cause of growing frustration and buyer’s remorse for EV owners.
4. Inconsistent User Interfaces:
Each service provider’s app has its own interface, which confuses users who frequently switch between platforms.
What’s intuitive on one app may be difficult to navigate on another, creating a disjointed experience.
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The Solution: A Unified EV Charging App
India needs a unified public EV charging app now to overcome all kinds of anxiety and make EVs truly mass.
A single app to cover all public EV charging stations in India would eliminate these pain points and ease the sum total EV user experience.
Such an app could:
Simplify Access: Users would register just once for all public charging stations, saving time and effort. A single app would work across providers, making the process hassle-free.
Unified Payment System: Instead of managing multiple wallets, users could rely on a unified wallet or direct payment method linked to their bank accounts, UPI, credit/debit cards or via FastTag.
Real-Time Updates and Notifications: The unified app could display real-time data about charger availability, operational status, and wait times, helping users plan their trips and charging stops efficiently.
Like someone travelling from Delhi to Guwahati could view all operational chargers along the route and book a slot in advance by paying a booking fee.
Seamless User Experience: A standardized, intuitive interface would enhance usability, making it easier for users to navigate and locate chargers.
It can also have a plan your trip feature which allows a user to do route planning taking roads that have public chargers, are operational, or book a hotel in case no public charging is available so the vehicle’s slow charger is required.
Global Examples
While no country has yet achieved a universally implemented, government-backed “one-app” solution for EV charging across all networks, many nations and regions are making strides toward improved interoperability and unified charging systems.
Countries in Europe like Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands, leaders in EV adoption, have some version of a unified app of a service provider like ‘Mer Connect’.
India can take inspiration from these models to become the first country in the world to have a unified app given the size and scale of its landmass and potential EV adoption footprint.
India’s one charging app can be bespoke for local needs, such as multi-language support, audio command enabled with AI, and integration with India-specific payment systems like UPI–another shining example of pioneering Indian technology in digital payments.
Why This Matters for India
India’s EV growth is promising, but its success hinges on addressing charging anxiety—a primary barrier for many prospective buyers.
A unified app would not only simplify the charging process but also boost confidence in EV ownership.
Imagine a future where an EV owner in Kolkata can seamlessly locate, pay for, and charge at a station in Bengaluru without downloading a single additional app.
That’s the convenience India needs. Now!
Collaboration for Change
To make this vision a reality, the government must lead the initiative by collaborating with charging service providers, automakers, technology companies, highway operators, petrol pump operators and fintech players.
Policies mandating data-sharing, interoperability, and compliance with a unified payment system will be critical.
Additionally, such an app could be designed to include features like SOS help, customer support, transaction history, route planning with pit stops or hotel stays, and carbon footprint tracking, adding value beyond just charging.
The Case for a BharatEV App
The fragmented EV charging app ecosystem in India is a growing pain point, but it also presents an opportunity to create a revolutionary solution.
With the central and state governments taking the lead with many policies to encourage EV adoption, now is the time to take the next giant leap.
A unified EV charging app is not just a convenience—it’s a necessity for building a user-friendly, reliable, and scalable EV ecosystem.
Also, as an earlier blog post explained why public EV charging is so expensive in India, a unified app can significantly cut down the per-unit charges as it will eliminate or significantly reduce app development, internet and maintenance costs that service providers now have to add to the consumer’s bill.
With India’s tech prowess and heft in software development, it must take the lead in showing the world the full potential of a unified app.
By prioritizing this, India can accelerate its electric mobility journey, ensuring that the road to sustainability is as seamless as it is green.
The time to act is now. Let’s go electric!
About the Author
Anirban is an editor and corporate warrior, closely tracking India’s growing EV sector and its impact on the climate economy.
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