500 EV charging stns in 6 mths: Transport Min appeals to hotels, markets to install charging infra
New Delhi: Delhi Transport minister Kailash Gahlot on Sunday appealed to malls, corporate houses, cinema halls, hotels and market complexes to set up charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) inside their premises.
As the ‘Switch Delhi’ campaign, aimed at encouraging people to adopt electric vehicles to make Delhi a clean and pollution-free city, enters the fifth week, the city government will focus on creating awareness about charging infrastructure here, he said. With 72 charging stations, Delhi already has the highest number of such stations in any Indian city, he claimed. “We are in the process of setting up an additional 100 charging stations with a total of 500 charging points in the next six months,” Gahlot said.
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has notified a policy wherein commercial buildings like hotels or malls, providing charging facilities, can install a sub-metre and the EV tariff rate will apply on them, he said. The Delhi government aims to set up EV charging stations on every three kilometres, he said adding that anyone who wants to use electricity for EV charging can install a sub metre.
Charging rates for EV, which are lower than commercial rates, will apply to these which is a big relief for Delhiites who want to install charging points, the minister said. “We appeal to malls, corporates, market complexes, cinema halls and hotels to set up charging stations on their premises and make this a mass-movement,” he stated.
The DERC has cut down the rates for EV charging to promote their adoption and curb pollution in the national Capital, Gahlot said. “Residential charging stations will pay Rs 4.5/kWh since these are low-tension (LT) electric supplies.
Public charging stations with high tension (HT) points will attract a tariff of Rs 4/kWh. Delhi has one of the lowest tariffs for EV charging across the country,” he said. The Delhi government is “tirelessly” working towards making the city the EV capital of India and is pushing for the adoption of these vehicles by ensuring a sound charging infrastructure system, the minister added.
Source: millenniumpost
