Types of EV Chargers in India

India is moving rapidly towards electric mobility. 2025 is already showing strong numbers in EV adoption across cars, 2W, 3W and commercial fleets. As EV usage increases, the biggest question that comes for every consumer, OEM, charging infra operator and commercial business is: “Which type of EV charger should be installed?”

Different locations require different charging solutions. A housing society does not need a 120kW ultra-fast charger. But a national highway location, fleet hub or commercial charging plaza cannot depend only on one slow AC charger. Therefore, understanding the various types of EV chargers, their power ratings, speed and use cases becomes extremely important.

EV chargers can mainly be divided into two broad categories: AC chargers and DC chargers.

AC Chargers – Best for Homes, Offices and Societies

AC chargers (Alternating Current) are the most common and affordable chargers used in residential buildings, office parking and commercial premises. In AC charging, the conversion from AC to DC happens inside the car’s internal onboard charger. This makes AC charging slower, but safer and more cost-efficient. A standard 3.3 kW or 7.4 kW AC charger is more than enough for overnight charging.

For example, if an EV is parked for 6 to 8 hours daily at home or office, an AC charger can easily add enough range for daily usage. AC chargers typically power between 15 km to 35 km per hour of charging, depending on the power rating and battery capacity.

In India, Type 2 AC chargers have now become the most widely used standard. Almost all passenger EV cars launched after 2021 onward support Type 2 AC charging. Many housing societies are now allocating individual charging slots to residents and installing multiple AC chargers because the cost is lower and load requirements are manageable. For office campuses, AC charging works perfectly because cars are parked for long hours, making slow charging ideal and economical.

DC Chargers – For Public Fast Charging, Fleets and Highways

DC chargers (Direct Current) provide fast charging capability because the conversion from AC to DC happens inside the charger itself, not inside the car. DC chargers directly feed DC power into the battery, allowing the battery to charge much faster. This is why DC chargers are used in public charging stations, EV charging plazas, highway charging stations and commercial fleet hubs. DC chargers are available in various power levels such as 15 kW, 30 kW, 60 kW, 120 kW, 150 kW and even 240 kW.

In 2025, India is seeing maximum installations in the 30 kW and 60 kW range in cities, while 120 kW and 150 kW ultra-fast chargers are coming up across national highways. With more EVs adopting 400V and 800V battery systems, ultra-fast 240 kW and higher chargers will become common in the coming years. DC chargers reduce charging time dramatically. An EV can charge from 20% to 80% in 30 to 45 minutes depending on battery size and charger capacity. This fast turnaround is why DC chargers are the backbone of commercial and intercity EV charging infrastructure.

EV Charging Standards in India – What is Accepted?

In India, the standardisation ecosystem is getting stable now. For AC charging, Type 2 AC is the default. For DC charging, CCS2 is the dominant standard used by most Indian and global OEMs including Tata, Mahindra, Hyundai, Kia, MG and BYD. Earlier Bharat DC-001 was used widely in the initial phase of EV infra development, but that is now slowly getting phased out. For buses and certain Chinese-origin models, GB/T standard is also seen, but that is limited to specific fleet segments.

So for an infra investor or charging operator in 2025, the safest combination is: Type 2 AC and CCS2 DC.

Which Charger is Best for Which Location?

Residential apartments and housing societies should deploy mainly AC 7.4 kW chargers with optionally few 11 kW chargers. Corporate offices and business parks can also deploy the same because employees generally park their vehicles for 8+ hours. Malls and commercial retail locations can have a mix of AC and 60 kW DC chargers. Fleet depots inside cities should prioritise 30 kW to 60 kW DC chargers for fast vehicle turnaround. Highways require 120 kW, 150 kW or above ultra-fast chargers for long distance travel convenience and maximum uptime. Every charger has a purpose. The correct selection ensures ROI and high utilisation.

Smart Charging – Software is Equally Important

Hardware is only 50% of charging business. The remaining 50% value comes from smart charging software. An EV charger should be connected to a cloud platform with OCPP capability to monitor health, control tariffs, manage user authentication, generate revenue reports, schedule charging, and diagnose faults remotely. TelioEV’s Charging Management Software (CMS) ensures that any charging station operator can monitor chargers, track utilisation, handle payments and reduce downtime. As the network grows, a software-first approach helps in scaling infra faster and makes chargers compatible with future standards like OCPP 2.0.1.

Future of Charging in India – 2025 Trends

The next phase of growth in India will be driven by ultra-fast charging, energy storage integration and renewable-powered charging locations. Solar integrated charging hubs will become common because they help reduce energy cost. Battery storage and peak shaving will also become important, especially for high load DC sites. Fleets will adopt structured charging strategies where software automatically balances cost vs speed.

Conclusion

India’s EV journey is now unstoppable. Choosing the right type of EV charger is the foundation of building a smart and profitable charging network. AC chargers are suitable for long duration parking locations like societies, homes and offices. DC fast chargers are essential for public charging and for enabling long distance travel. TelioEV helps charger owners, infra developers and OEM partners deploy the right charging mix, integrate smart software and build future-ready EV charging networks.