The electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem was rocked earlier this month by proposed changes to the National Building Code that would have imposed stricter rules that could slow the nation’s EV adoption. These proposed revisions would restrict the locations for charging and parking of electric and hybrid vehicles.

The requirements only allow EV charging at ground level or, if permitted, within the first basement level, and only in compartmentalised spaces that are no larger than 200 square metres, citing fire safety concerns. It is anticipated that these provisions will cause a disruption to the increasingly electric urban mobility landscape.

In order to promote and enable broader EV adoption—a crucial component of India’s 2030 target of 30% EV sales—many residential buildings and office buildings in Indian cities have teamed up with charging operators to install the infrastructure in basement-level parking spots. According to a report by GameChanger Law Advisors and venture capital firm Speciale Invest, India will require 3.9 million public and semi-public charging stations in total to meet this ambitious goal.

By 2024, India will have over 76,000 charging stations—both public and captive—as well as more than 320,000 private chargers, the majority of which will be installed in homes, according to different research by the India Energy Storage Alliance and Customised Energy Solutions. Many big businesses, particularly in IT parks, logistics, and hospitality, have installed specialised employee charging stations, according to a blog post by Bolt.Earth.

In the future, it is anticipated that most private EV owners in India will use AC chargers at home or at work. For example, the blog article pointed out that tech parks in Bengaluru and Gurugram have begun to provide EV charging, following Silicon Valley’s lead.

Although two-wheelers have historically accounted for the majority of EV sales in India, four-wheeler sales are steadily increasing due to the nation’s developed charging infrastructure and a greater range of EV models that appeal to various consumer demographics. Customers will be less inclined to buy electric cars, though, because of the clauses that forbid installing charging stations in basements. The interaction of flammable materials, high-voltage systems, and cramped areas makes basement parking fire safety a legitimate concern, according to S Raghav Bharadwaj, founder and CEO of EV charging firm Bolt.Earth.

But imposing stringent limitations on EV charging infrastructure in these areas runs the risk of delaying uptake and jeopardising our joint efforts to cut urban emissions and achieve sustainability objectives. Evidence-based engineering, strong safety procedures, and careful design are the way forward. We can create workable rules that protect lives and hasten the shift to cleaner, greener cities if legislators, developers, and business executives work together,” he argues. Bharadwaj is right. Numerous incidents of EV fires have been reported in India, raising concerns about the issue. Up to 83 instances of EVs catching fire have reportedly been documented in Karnataka alone since 2020. However, stakeholders think this problem may be resolved with stricter restrictions and increased safety standards.