Vehicle charging station will be every 25 kilometers, Ministry of Power has issued new rules
New delhi: The Union Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship RK Singh have approved amendments to the Electric Vehicle Charging Guidelines and Specifications for promotion of electric vehicles. This revised guidelines related to infrastructural facilities will replace the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power on 14 December 2018. Giving information about the changes, Minister of State RK Singh said that new guidelines have been prepared after the suggestions received from various stakeholders. He said that we have tried to address the concerns of electric vehicle owners in the new guidelines. He expressed the hope that the revised guidelines would encourage people to adopt electric vehicles.
At least one charging station within a radius of three kilometers
The new guidelines envisage creation of a proper charging infrastructure across the country to address the concerns of electric vehicle owners. As per the new guidelines, at least one charging station will be available in cities within a radius of 3 km. In addition, a charging station will be available every 25 kilometers on both sides of all types of highways. The infrastructure of charging stations across the country will be prepared in two phases. In the first phase i.e. within 1 to 3 years, charging stations will be installed on cities with a population of more than 40 lakhs (as per census 2011) and all expressways connected to them. In the second phase 3 to 5 years, charging infrastructure will be prepared in state capitals and headquarters of union territories. Apart from this, fast charging stations will be set up every 100 kilometers for excursions from one city to another and for heavy electric vehicles such as buses / trucks etc.
The new guidelines also provide the creation of private charging stations in homes and offices. For this, only permission has to be obtained from the power distribution companies. Installing fast or slow chargers at these places will be completely dependent on the consumer. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has been designated as the central lead agency for the creation of charging infrastructure. Consumption of electricity at private charging stations will be considered domestic and only domestic rates will be applicable. However, the tariff for electricity at public charging stations (PCS) will be fixed as per the tariff policy issued under Section 3 of the Electricity Act 2003.