Electric vehicles are the talk of the town in Colombo today. The Customs department backtracked from the official stance held before and agreed to a conditional release of over 900 EVs which were held in Colombo port due to the regulatory issue. Wherever you look, the talk is about EVs. From public appetite for new vehicles following years of import restrictions, and growing global trends showing an uptick in sale of electric vehicles, Sri Lankan roads seem to be flooded with the space-age looking vehicles which began to arrive on our shores recently. While, ‘EV’ has many positive aspects to them, there are some challenges, some domestic, which need to be addressed if Sri Lanka is to make the most of the ‘EV era’.

The number of EVs in Sri Lanka has risen significantly following the recent reopening of the vehicle import market. While this shift marks a positive step towards cleaner, low-emission transport and aligns with global climate goals, it also raises a crucial question: Is the country’s energy infrastructure prepared to meet the growing demand for EV charging? Also, how will Sri Lanka’s fragile and incompetent electricity sector respond to the needs and challenges which will emerge from more EVs being used? While renewable energy use in tandem with use of EVs have been promoted as ‘ideal’ energy – mobility balance for the new age, the ground realities in Sri Lanka may not be that rosy. 

The reality is that Sri Lanka’s operational power grid is heavily reliant on a combination of hydropower, coal, and thermal oil plants, and has yet to fully transition towards a modern renewable energy (RE)-based system. With limited storage facilities and slow progress in RE adoption, some observers have voiced concerns that increased EV penetration could place additional pressure on an already fragile grid. They point out that this is particularly concerning during nighttime hours, when most EV owners are likely to charge their vehicles after daily use. Solar and other RE sources are largely unavailable at night, and without adequate battery storage at national level, thousands of new EVs plugging in may create a demand-supply imbalance. The resulting stress on the power system could risk undermining grid stability. It is also possible that the demand increase may also trigger higher operational costs, and result in increased dependence on fossil fuels.

Some energy sector players have opined that the Government should consider incentivising daytime EV charging, especially during working hours when vehicles were typically idle and solar power generation was at its peak. Or to incentivise EV buyers, to concurrently invest in home renewable energy systems with battery storage. They argue that encouraging charging during the day could help absorb the country’s frequent solar energy surpluses, which were otherwise wasted or curtailed to maintain grid stability. 

It is noteworthy that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), in its Long-Term Generation Expansion Plan (LTGEP) (2025-2044), has begun incorporating the anticipated electricity demand from increased EV usage into its projections. This move aligns with Sri Lanka’s commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change and its broader climate and sustainability objectives. Notably, the transport sector accounts for approximately 51% of the country’s national CO2 emissions, making the decarbonisation of this sector a national priority. Replacing internal combustion engine vehicles with electric alternatives is now seen as a critical strategy to reduce emissions and promote energy efficiency. However, the state and the utility suppliers, and public transportation planners and regulators need to begin to roll out EV-friendly infrastructure which has the capacity to expand significantly in the future. This does not only mean road-side recharging stations but much more.

Meanwhile, there is a need to build capacity on how to respond to accidents and fires linked to EVs. Crashes or mishaps linked to EVs can lead to potential challenges for first responders like firefighters, police officers, and ambulance medics. As most EVs carry highly flammable batteries, and even some toxic chemicals, which may be hazardous if vaporised or inhaled, there is a need for hazardous material handling training and awareness for first responders. EV’s may well be the way of the future, if they are, it would be prudent to be prepared and equipped for them.