1. Ministry of Heavy Industries sanctions Rs 800 crore for installing 7432 EV charging stations.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries has sanctioned Rs 800 crore under FAME-II to the three PSU oil majors (Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum & Bharat Petroleum) for installing 7432 EV fast-charging stations across the country. The ministry has released Rs 560 crore or 70% of the earmarked amount as the 1st installment for the project. The installation work is likely to be completed by March 2024.

2. Bharat Petroleum covers 5000 km of highways with EV charging corridors.

Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) has set-up 19 EV fast-charging corridors along 15 highways in 3 South Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala. These highways pass through major cities with several religious & tourist spots. BPCL has set-up 3 fast-charging corridors in Kerala with 19 petrol pumps, 6 corridors in Karnataka with 33 petrol pumps and 10 corridors in Tamil Nadu with 58 petrol pumps. The company has also digitized the entire process via the HelloBPCL app which assists users in locating the charging stations, managing charger operations and with e-payments.

3. A new player in the EV segment makes a splash.

Kick EV, a new entrant in the electric two-wheeler market, has introduced an electric scooter ‘Smassh'. Customers can reserve the e-scooter with zero booking amount on the company's website. Delivery time is 45 days. The company is offering free 5 year after-sales service with 5 year warranty on key parts like motor, convertor, tyres & chassis. Kick EV boasts of a network of 58,000 plus 'affiliated' service centers across the country. The scooter ‘Smassh’ comes with two battery options: 2.6 kWh which gives a range of 130 km and 3.5 kWh which gives a range of 160 km. The top speed is 75 km/hr. The scooter is equipped with fast-charging capabilities via a ‘Micro D Smart’ charger which provides 0-80% charge within 1 hour. As far as features are concerned, the Smassh has cruise control, front and rear disc brakes, GPS, all LED lights, alloy wheels and comes in 6 colour options. The scooter is priced at Rs 1.75 lakh.

4. EV charging tariff in Chandigarh to be Rs 4/kWh.

The UT of Chandigarh’s Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has set the tariff for electricity supply to EV charging stations at Rs 4/kWh and an additional Rs 100 fixed monthly charge on electricity bill for the charging stations. The electricity wing of the Engineering Department of Chandigarh had recommended a tariff between Rs 5-5.60. However, the JERC chose to go with a lower tariff to attract more people to switch to EVs.

5. An EV charger installed at The Great Khali Dhaba in Karnal (Haryana).

EV charging player ‘AARGO EV Smart’, has installed a 93kW multi-standard charger ‘Terra 54 CJG’, at The Great Khali Dhaba, Karnal (Haryana). The EV charger will serve commuters on a National Highway, which passes close to the dhaba in Karnal and is connected to 5 states in North India. The charger, designed by ABB, is a combination of 50kW DC and 43kW AC type 2. The company’s management is very particular in site selection for their charging stations. As per their evaluation, The Great Khali Dhaba at Karnal is situated at a well-connected spot and has ample parking space. Wrestler and actor Dalip Singh Rana, popularly known as ‘The Great Khali’, was himself present at the time of inauguration.

AARGO is a Charge Point Operator (CPO) which operates and maintains more than 200 EV charging stations across the country.

For complete EV charging solutions, explore the Kazam website.