UT to soon fix power tariff for electric vehicle charging stations
CHANDIGARH: As the UT administration have installed charging stations in different parking lots in the city, they will now push for early fixing of power tariff for electric vehicle charging stations. The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) is yet to fix power tariff for these stations.
A senior UT official said that the UT electricity department in its power tariff petition submitted before the JERC had proposed a power tariff plan for electric vehicle charging stations. They will now request JERC for fixing power tariff as early as possible, he added. The department has proposed charging Rs 5 per unit in the slab of 0-150 units, Rs 5.30 and Rs 5.60 per unit in 151-400 units and above 400 units, respectively.
The power tariff proposed for electric vehicle charging stations are higher as compared to domestic category but equivalent to power tariff of commercial category. The central government has already framed a National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, which aims at promoting hybrid and electric vehicles in the country.
The UT administration is already working on promoting hybrid and electric vehicles. Last year, a team of the transport department had visited Nagpur to study setting up of charging stations in different parts of the city. Nagpur was the first city in the country to have electric vehicle charging stations in place.
Chandigarh has the highest density of vehicles in India with around 12 lakh registered vehicles, including both two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The number of vehicles per house on an average is two. As a result, it led to a sharp deterioration in quality of air.
To cut down the pollution level, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) will induct electric buses in its fleet. The ministry of urban development has given a green signal to CTU to purchase 20 buses in the first phase. One bus will cost around Rs 5 crore and the central government has agreed to fund 60% of the cost of these electric buses.
At present, around 3,000 e-rickshaws are plying in the city. The Centre has already been working on making India a 100 per cent electric vehicle nation by 2030. With an aim to reach that target in the next 12 years, the Centre is already working on a scheme to provide electric vehicles on zero down payment.
A small working group has already been created led by Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari, with power minister Piyush Goyal, petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and environment minister Prakash Javadekar among other members.
First charging station at Sector 42
Though the municipal as corporation have installed these charging stations in different parking lots, the Chandigarh administration has planned to set up first charging station for electric vehicles at New Lake, Sector 42.
As per plan, the Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (Crest), the nodal agency to install solar plants in the UT has planned to install 800 KW solar plant at New Lake, Sector 42. Of these 800 kW, the UT administration will use 90 kW for charging station.
After this, the administration will implement the same project in markets of Sector 15, 17 and 19.
The 90 kW charging station can charge around 65 cars in a day.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
