Tamil Nadu has strengthened its electric mobility infrastructure, but the state needs to accelerate commercial EV adoption and further improve charging readiness, according to Niti Aayog’s India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025 report.Tamil Nadu ranked sixth overall among 36 states and Union Territories and third among 17 large states. Its IEMI score climbed two points to 61, comfortably ahead of the national average of 42. Yet the state fell one place from its 2024 position, highlighting the need to accelerate progress.The state has emerged as an electric vehicle production hub, backed by its long-established automotive manufacturing ecosystem. But the IEMI data point to gaps that need to be addressed to drive wider adoption of electric mobility.The biggest weaknesses are in commercial EV adoption and purchase support. Commercial EV registration scored just 20 out of 100, while purchase incentives scored an even lower 8. This suggests that fleet operators and last-mile delivery players have relatively little financial incentive to switch. By comparison, private EV registration scored 92, showing a sharp gap between consumer and commercial adoption.Kartikey Hariyani, founder & CEO of ChargeZone, an EV charging network player, said the charging requirements of personal and commercial mobility were increasingly diverging.“For personal mobility, that maturity is visible in the pace of growth. As the user base expands, expectations from charging are also evolving: it is no longer about access, but about ensuring reliable fast charging for intercity travel, alongside dependable charging for everyday home and workplace use,” he said.“For commercial mobility, the infrastructure equation changes significantly,” he said, citing a 2025 study by CEEW and Climate Group. India’s roughly four million medium- and heavy-duty trucks account for nearly 35% of on-road fuel consumption and around 45% of on-road transport emissions, according to the study. Electrifying this segment will require high-capacity infra where charging speed, uptime and turnaround directly influence vehicle economics.“Predictable demand from buses, trucks and fleets can make high-capacity charging corridors viable earlier, while the same infrastructure also strengthens passenger EV mobility,” he added.Tamil Nadu’s charging infrastructure has improved, with its theme score rising 16 points to 73. Renewable energy capacity, power availability and building byelaws for EVs all scored 100, while capital subsidies for charging also scored 100. The state ranked fourth among large states, behind Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana.But the charging score remains below the national average, pointing to the need for greater charger availability and wider deployment. The state govt has undertaken feasibility studies for 528 locations across the state under the PM E-Drive scheme to support the development of a statewide EV charging network. Greater availability of high-capacity charging, particularly along key transport corridors, will be important for commercial EV adoption.The report recommends that the state use scrapping incentives for old commercial vehicles, stronger purchase subsidies, reserved EV parking, and low-emission zones to improve the economics of switching. These measures could help create demand among fleets and last-mile operators while supporting greater utilisation of charging infra.Another concern is research and innovation, where TN’s score fell 14 points to 77. While R&D initiatives scored 100 and EV startup activity 81, the state’s patent score was only 30, pointing to a gap between research activity and intellectual-property creation.Transport electrification remains another weak spot. Its score rose only two points to 48, well below the national average of 77.TN’s automotive manufacturing base gives it a strong platform to address these gaps. The next phase will require greater focus on commercial EV adoption, charging availability, and converting R&D activity into intellectual property and products, alongside the state’s existing strengths in manufacturing and private EV adoption.The state’s programme to train 22,500 people in EV servicing and battery repair over five years, including 12,500 existing petrol and diesel vehicle mechanics, could also help address the servicing skills gap as EV adoption expands.
