2 weeks Ago
Tirunelveli will be the second station on the Kanyakumari–Madurai corridor, with the first site announcement expected later this month. The National Highways for Electric Vehicles (NHEV) has taken a big step in powering India’s electric future by securing a 4.7-acre land in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
The land, offered by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), will be used to build a 3G electric vehicle (EV) charging station – the second on the Kanyakumari–Madurai route and the first under the NHEV South Zone rollout. Abhijeet Sinha, Project Director of NHEV, confirmed that the Tirunelveli site is just the beginning. “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, Buses and vehicles.
" The 3G stations are roughly the size of traditional petrol pumps, but with a focus on clean energy. Sites were selected from both private applicants and public bodies like NHLML (National Highways Logistics Management Limited). NHEV will use both private and public land to create a wide network of energy stations.
Partners Tata Steel Nest-In and HYDRA Charging have already visited the Tirunelveli site and will soon begin surveys and early construction work. Over 36 partners are expected to join in the coming weeks to speed up development. Drone mapping and soil testing have already been completed.
Construction of public facilities, like toilets, is also in progress. In a major shift from the traditional system, these 3G charging stations will be built using a hybrid PPP model known as AHEM (Annuity Hybrid E-Mobility). This allows not just public and private companies, but also individuals to co-own and invest in the stations—something never allowed before with petrol pumps in India.
This project is a key part of the 5,500 km NHEV charging network being built across India. It follows Parliament recommendations from the 17th Lok Sabha and has been backed by the 2025–26 Union Budget, which aims to finish these projects by 2027—three years ahead of the original 2030 deadline. After final construction and electrification surveys, the Tirunelveli station will be price-tagged and allocated to either public or private operators for future use and revenue generation.
This new station follows the successful Chennai–Trichy TechTrial Run III, which featured electric trucks from Ashok Leyland and LNG trucks by Blue Energy Motors. The first station location on this route will be announced soon as part of the South Zone rollout, covering Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Goa, and Pondicherry..
