Hyderabad Emerges Fastest Growing Metropolis in EV Use

Hyderabad: Hyderabad recorded a 100.6 per cent annualised increase in electric vehicle (EV) charging sessions during the first 160 days of 2026-27, the fastest growth among major metros, according to Bolt.Earth’s State of Charge: Exclusive EV Data Report 2026.

The city recorded 120,982 charging sessions and 427,007 kWh of energy consumption during the period.

The report, based on Bolt Earth’s internal charging network data, showed sharp growth in emerging non-metro cities as well. Vijayawada recorded the highest annualised growth at 712 per cent, followed by Rajamahendravaram at 256 per cent and Visakhapatnam at 203 per cent, making Andhra Pradesh the strongest non-metro cluster covered in the report.

Among the six metros, Bengaluru recorded the highest charging volume with 190,954 sessions. Kochi registered the highest percentage growth at 291.6 per cent, though from a smaller base. Chennai recorded 67,731 sessions, Delhi-NCR 22,847 and Mumbai 12,339.

The data showed a wide difference between charging frequency and energy demand across vehicle categories. Two-wheelers accounted for 78.1 per cent of charging sessions, while four-wheelers, which accounted for 16 per cent of sessions, consumed 67.3 per cent of the energy.

During the 160-day period, two-wheelers recorded 333,892 sessions and consumed 385,045 kWh, while four-wheelers logged 68,250 sessions and consumed 940,653 kWh.

Charger utilisation was uneven. In Delhi-NCR, only 388 of 11,222 registered chargers dispensed energy during the year-to-date period, while 130 of Mumbai’s 1,076 chargers were used.

Charging demand peaked in the evening, with 6 pm recording the highest number of sessions. The period between 7 pm and 10.59 pm accounted for 28.16 per cent of energy consumption, while only 2.78 per cent was consumed between 2 am and 5.59 am.

The report found that DC fast charging reduced the average four-wheeler charging time from 194.3 minutes on AC charging to 26.5 minutes. However, 90-day retention was higher among AC users, with 73.5 per cent returning compared with 67.6 per cent of DC fast-charging users.

Bolt.Earth’s model estimated that 473.2 tonnes of net CO2 emissions were avoided across the six metros in 2025-26, including 111.5 tonnes in Hyderabad. The company said these were modelled estimates and not direct measurements.

The report said future charging infrastructure planning would need to account for differences in two- and four-wheeler demand, evening energy peaks, charger utilisation and the rapid growth of smaller cities, rather than charger numbers alone.