NHEV starts building Electric Highways from Kanyakumari

SOURCE : EODB NEWS | PUBLISHED : 10 APRIL 2025

National Highway for EV starts South Zone Rollout from Tirunelveli station site on Kanyakumari to Madurai E-Highway.

A 4.7-acre site in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu has been officially pledged to the National Highway for EV (NHEV). NHEV – Program Director, Abhijeet Sinha visited Tirunelveli site to take handover from the lessor and confirmed that 3G NHEV Charging Station will be developed for the Kanyakumari –Madurai Electric highway upgradation.

This NHLML (National Highways Logistics Management Limited) land peace on highway is leased to NHEV by its lessor.
This will be the second large sized charging station with world class amenities on the highway heading from Kanyakumari to Madurai and marks the beginning of the NHEV South Zone rollout, covering 6 states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, and Goa. The total highway network under this phase will span approximately 2,000 km.

We have finalised multiple locations for NHEV 3G Charging Stations in South Zone states as per Chennai- Trichy 3rd Technical Trial for Electric & LNG Trucks, Busses and vehicles. After overwhelming response to give land for these Petrol Pump size 3G charging stations; we have concluded our final examination of pledged land parcels applications received from people and private companies. They were compared with sites available through Public entity NHLML bidding/ auctions and NHEV will takes sites from both Private (People & Companies) & Public (NHLML & PSUs) to build these 3G energy stations
ABHIJEET SINHA, PROGRAM DIRECTOR NHEV

Download Chennai – Trichy Report

This is NHEV’s 5th freight route after the Chennai–Trichy TechTrial-III conducted in September 2024 with Electric & LNG Trucks and will become the second charging station on the Kanyakumari to Madurai route location for 1st station is yet to be finalised with local administration.

“This site is now being opened up to NHEV partners for construction related, site survey, soil testing, and project estimation to finalize the final asset price tag of station. A drone survey and mapping of the area have already been completed.“ said Maya Autobahn director X after pledging the site to NHEV for lease.

NHEV Site Visit Tirunelveli WSA (Near by Nanguneri Toll Plaza) 8°31’22.9″N 77°39’29.2″E

It took time to extend such transformational milestone extending Ease of Doing Business over licence raj in India. Where for financing and allocation of these 3G stations, hybrid PPP model ‘AHEM’ (Annuity Hybrid E-Mobility) is being used, which allows participation from PSUs under the Power and Petroleum Ministries, private entities, and the general public to now own these petrol pump sized large charging stations, which wasn’t possible in petrol pumps earlier due to licensing barriers.” Sinha added.

This initiative is part of the 5,500 km national rollout of the NHEV network, launched based on Parliamentary recommendations that NHEV received last year. Under the 2025–26 Union Budget, the Finance Minister directed national infrastructure pipelines efforts as a part of a focused PPP infrastructure pipeline, covering both Bharatmala and Sagarmala routes, with an aim to complete the network by 2027, completing it 3 years early from the original 2030 timeline. After site, construction and electrification survey for price tagging these stations shall get allocated to a Public, Private or People’s entities to operate and earn from them.

In addition, plans are being discussed to develop a truck and logistics charging hub at this site, with Ashok Leyland already having conducted a site visit to explore future involvement.

The 3G NHEV Charging Station miniature model, the ‘future of Petrol Pumps’, was revealed by the Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport & Highway, Shri Nitin Gadkari, in Sept 2022.

NHEV has entered its construction and allocation phase post-closing INR 3672 Cr funding and securing the credit – outlay required for the construction phase in January 2024 on a 12-month moratorium period with 0% interest. This was followed by opening threads of conversations with Power & Petroleum PSUs to collect their affirmation and letter of confirmation to own the 3G NHEV Charging Station.

NHEV 3rd Generation Charging Station

NHEV & HDFC MoU Signing

The Station allocation opportunity has been opened for prospective allottees to express their interest in becoming the owners of these 3G NHEV Charging Stations.