Electric vehicles: 76 charging stations in Chandigarh, none working

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, August 9

The UT Administration has installed 76 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the city, but none of these has been made operational so far.

The Centre had sanctioned 48 charging stations for Chandigarh under Phase I of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) India scheme.

As many as 28 fast-charging stations out of 37 sanctioned under FAME-II scheme have also been installed and energised, but are yet to be made operational and the remaining stations would be installed soon.

The Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST), the nodal agency for implementation of the EV policy and installation of charging stations in the city, has so far commissioned 76 charging stations in various parking areas, including Sukhna Lake, Sector 42 lake, Sectors 9, 17 and 31, etc. in the city.

Debendra Dalai, Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Chief Executive Officer, CREST, said all charging stations were ready but had not been made operational as the rates for charging EVs were yet to be decided.

He said tenders were invited to run the charging stations and rates would be decided on the basis of bids received for operating the stations. Four firms submitted their bids, out of which one was rejected when technical bids were opened, he said, adding the firm would be finalised after opening of the financial bids. The rates for charging of electric vehicles would be decided on the basis of the lowest bid, he said.

The selected firm would operate the existing charging stations and install points approved by the government.

In a bid to push the launch of the EV policy, the administration is in the process of installing at least 44 more EV charging stations at different locations in the city under the Chandigarh developer mode. As many as 328 electric vehicles can be charged simultaneously across the city. It will have slow, moderate and fast chargers.

Battery-swapping stations will also be set up along with the charging stations at 26 locations at first.

To promote use of EVs, public charging stations will be set up in every sector. In the first two years of the EV policy period, 100 public charging stations will be installed in the UT.

Within six months of implementation of the policy, it will be mandatory for all fuel stations to set up EV charging stations. Building bylaws will be amended to facilitate setting up of these stations in houses and other buildings.

To a question raised in the Lok Sabha recently, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had said oil marketing companies as on July1 had established 14 electric vehicle charging stations at their retail outlets in Chandigarh. Both two-wheelers and four-wheelers could be charged at these charging stations.

Dalai said private firms or government departments had also installed charging stations at respective facilities for own vehicles. The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) had set up the facility for its electric buses at its depot.

Around 80% of the battery can be charged within 30 minutes at a fast-charging station, while it will take nearly four to five hours to fully charge the battery at a normal charging station.

Why the delay

• Rates for charging EVs are yet to be decided. Bids have been received for running charging stations
• Of four firms, one has been rejected at technical bid stage; rates will be finalised after the opening of financial bids

Proposed EV policy

• Public charging stations to be set up in every sector; 100 to be set up in first two years
• Within six months of implementation, all fuel stations must set up EV charging stations
• Building bylaws to be amended to facilitate setting up of stations in houses and buildings

Agency for implementation

Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST)

Existing locations in city

• Parking areas of Sukhna, Sec 42 lake, Sec 31, 17, 9, etc.
• 14 charging stations at retail outlets of oil companies

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