The numbers
Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has urged electric vehicle (EV) owners to charge their vehicles during the day, a move aimed at reducing the nighttime demand on the country’s power grid. Nighttime charging currently adds approximately 300 megawatts of demand, a significant burden on the system.
This call to action comes as Sri Lanka grapples with the challenges of balancing energy demand with sustainable power generation. Much of the electricity generated at night is derived from fossil fuels, which undermines the environmental benefits that electric vehicles are intended to provide. “Charge your car during the day when we have excess electricity from solar,” Dissanayake emphasized, highlighting the need for a shift in charging habits.
The situation is further complicated by the lack of large-scale battery storage infrastructure in Sri Lanka, which limits the ability to store solar energy produced during daylight hours. As the country transitions towards electric mobility, these infrastructural challenges pose significant hurdles to achieving a sustainable energy future.
In contrast, electric vehicles are gaining traction in other regions, such as Australia, where rising petrol prices have made EVs more appealing to consumers. Most new electric vehicles sold in Australia now offer a driving range between 300 and 500 kilometres on a full battery, making them a viable option for many drivers.
Moreover, electric vehicles can be conveniently charged from a standard household power point, adding 10 to 15 kilometres of range per hour. This ease of access contributes to the growing adoption of EVs, which, according to BloombergNEF, helped avoid the consumption of 2.3 million barrels of oil per day in 2025.
As countries like Sri Lanka look to increase their electric vehicle adoption, the need for a robust and sustainable energy infrastructure becomes increasingly critical. Observers are closely watching how Sri Lanka will address these challenges while promoting electric mobility and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding specific plans to enhance battery storage capabilities or to increase solar energy production, but the urgency for action is clear as the global shift towards electric vehicles continues to accelerate.