Karnataka to Develop a 100 Acres "EV City" Near Bengaluru to Boost EV Ecosystem

The Karnataka government on Thursday announced plans to develop a state-of-the-art Electric Vehicle (EV) City near Bengaluru, aimed at deepening the state’s electric mobility and battery technology ecosystem. 

The proposal was unveiled during a high-level industry consultation chaired by Priyank Kharge, Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj of Karnataka, with participation from more than 30 leading EV and battery technology companies.

Location and Scope of the EV City

According to the state government, the proposed EV City will be developed over around 100 acres of land within a two-hour drive from Bengaluru. 

The facility is envisioned as an end-to-end innovation, development, and validation hub for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and incubators. 

The city will host shared infrastructure and common facilities to support product development and testing across the EV value chain.

A key component of the project will be a 50-acre integrated proving and testing zone. This zone will include outdoor test tracks, urban road simulations, gradient and hill testing facilities, EV software and cybersecurity laboratories, and fast-charging test beds. 

The infrastructure will also support vehicle performance evaluation, road-worthiness certification, and component benchmarking, enabling manufacturers to conduct comprehensive validation within a single location.

Centre of Excellence and Skill Development Focus

Kharge said the EV City will also house a dedicated centre of excellence for electric vehicles and battery technologies. 

In addition, a skilling and talent academy is planned to train professionals required across manufacturing, software, testing, and battery systems, addressing the sector’s growing demand for specialised talent. 

He highlighted that Karnataka has been among the first states to introduce a dedicated Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy, positioning itself as a national leader in the segment.

Karnataka’s EV Deployment and Market Context

Karnataka has so far deployed over 7,17,000 electric vehicles, with the two-wheeler segment accounting for more than 6 lakh units. This mirrors the broader trend in India, where electric two-wheelers dominate overall EV adoption. India is also the world’s largest electric two-wheeler market, underscoring the strategic importance of focused infrastructure such as the proposed EV City to support scale, innovation, and domestic manufacturing.