Revised: EV Charging Industry Protocols and Standards (2022)
Over the past several years, there has been a significant advancement in the technology that powers the electric vehicle charging sector. We are witnessing a movement towards the standardisation of chargers and the development of new industry protocols for interoperability as electric vehicles (EVs) become an integral component of the ecosystem that supports the transportation industry.
It is particularly difficult to keep up with new advances and guarantee that technologies meet with the most recent norms and standards in this day and age, maybe more than ever.
Charge point operators and e-mobility service providers are encountering hurdles while trying to expand worldwide, particularly when it comes to dealing with multiple protocols, legislation, and multi-currencies, as well as integrating roaming capabilities into their networks. With this being said, the Union Ministry of Power issued the revised unified Guidelines & Standards for Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EV) back in Jan 2022 - this helped the rates of EVCS boost in numbers. Let’s look at some of the key highlights of the revised protocols!
These regulations were comprehensive and contained rules for
a) private owners of electric vehicles and
b) public charging stations (PCS).
Significantly, owners can now charge their Electric Vehicles at home or in the workplace utilising their current electrical connections.
In addition, a complete list of Public Charging Station (PCS) compliance criteria has been provided. These standards contain "suitable" civil, electrical, and safety infrastructure requirements.
Delicensing: Any individual or entity may install public charging stations without a license, so long as they meet the technical, safety, and performance standards and protocols outlined in the guidelines and norms/ standards/ specifications periodically issued by the Ministry of Power, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), and Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
Technology-neutral Charging Standards: The recommendations have been made even more technology-neutral by incorporating both the existing international charging standards and the new Indian charging standards.
In order to solve the difficulty of making a charging station financially viable during the era of growth of Electric Vehicles, a revenue sharing model for land utilised for the purpose has been implemented.
Land available with the Government/Public entities shall be allocated to a Government/Public entity on a revenue sharing basis for installation of Public Charging Stations at a predetermined charge of 1 / kWh (used for charging), payable quarterly to the Land-Owning Agency.
A Model Revenue Sharing Agreement has been incorporated into the recommendations. Parties may initially enter into this revenue-sharing arrangement for a term of ten years. The Revenue Sharing Model may also be employed by the public Land-owning agency for providing land to a private business for construction of Public Charging Stations on a bidding basis with a minimum price of 1 per kWh.
Public Charging Station (PCS): According to the Electricity Act, timelines for enabling connectivity for the installation of Public Charging Station (PCS) have been established (Rights of Consumers). Consequently, PCS connections must be made available within seven days in metropolitan regions, fifteen days in other municipal areas, and thirty days in rural areas. Within these timeframes, distribution licensees are required to instal a new connection or alter an existing one.
The Tariff for power supply to public EV charging stations: The tariff for the delivery of electricity to Public EV Charging Stations shall consist of a single component and shall not exceed the "Average Cost of Supply" until March 31, 2025. The same rate shall apply to Battery Charging Stations (BCS). Domestic pricing is subject to the rate applicable to domestic consumption.
State governments will determine the maximum service charge: As power is given at concessional rates and the Central/State Governments in many cases provide subsidies for the installation of Public Charging Stations, the State Government shall define the maximum Service Charges that can be levied by such Charging Stations.
Open Access: Through open access, any public charging station or charging station chain may acquire electricity from any generation firm.
Open Access shall be offered for this purpose within fifteen days of receiving a complete application.
They will be obliged to pay the applicable surcharge, which is equal to the existing amount of cross subsidy (not to exceed 20 percent under the Tariff Policy Guidelines), transmission fees, and wheeling fees.
There shall be no additional surcharges or fees in addition to those listed in this article.
Public EV Charging Stations Database: In conjunction with State Nodal Agencies, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) shall build and maintain a national online database of all Public Charging Stations (SNAs). Bureau of Energy Efficiency shall develop a Web-Portal/Software/Mobile Application for the national database of Public Charging Stations.
According to information provided by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a total of 1,028 Public Charging Stations (PCS) have been erected around the nation.
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), as the Central Nodal Agency (CNA), is creating action plans for the installation of Public Charging Stations in nine major cities with populations of one million or more (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat, and Pune).
So far, scenario-specific installation objectives have been developed for the Business as Usual (BAU), Moderate, and Aggressive Scenarios. Certain goals have been established in accordance with the Ministry of Power's Guidelines and Standards, Electric Vehicle (EV) growth estimates in these cities, EV charging demand increase, etc.
A total of 3,263 chargers under the BAU scenario, 23,524 chargers under the Moderate scenario, and 46,397 chargers under the Aggressive scenario are expected to be installed in these cities by 2030, according to initial projections.
Network Service Companies: Public Charging Stations will be required to partner with at least one internet Network Service Provider (NSP) to enable EV users to book charging spaces in advance remotely and online. uch online information for EV owners should include include location, kind, and quantity of installed/available chargers, as well as service fees for EV charging.
Public Charging Station Locations: In order to alleviate the range anxiety of potential EV customers, the standards stipulate that at least one charging station must be available every 3 kilometres by 3 kilometres. In addition, one charging station must be installed every 25 kilometres on both sides of highways and roads.
For long range EVs and/or heavy load EVs such as buses/trucks, etc., there must be at least one Fast Charging Station with Charging Infrastructure Specifications every 100 kilometres, preferably within/alongside the Public Charging Stations.
Rollout of EV Public Charging Infrastructure: A phased installation is envisioned in accordance with the following guidelines:
First Phase (1-3 Years): All Mega Cities with a population of 4 million or more according to the 2011 Census, as well as all existing expressways and major highways connected to these Mega Cities, may be covered. A list of these Megacities and the current expressways connecting them is compiled.
Second Phase (3-5 Years): Large cities such as state capitals and the headquarters of the U.T. may also be covered for distribution and demonstration purposes. Additionally, coverage may be extended to the major highways connecting each of these Mega Cities.
Nodal Agency: Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) shall serve as the Central Nodal Agency for the rollout of the EV Public Charging Infrastructure. All essential agencies, including the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), must provide the Central Nodal Agency with the appropriate support.
Each state's government must choose a Nodal Agency to oversee the installation of charging infrastructure. In general, the State DISCOM shall serve as the Nodal Agency for these purposes. As its Nodal Agency, the State Government may choose any Central/State Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), including Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Urban/Area Development Authorities, etc.
Author’s Opinion
Future electric mobility must be supported by the necessary charging infrastructure. While India's electric vehicle (EV) policies are sending the proper signals, much more must be done to realise the desired transformation - government actions will be important in creating the groundwork for an electric vehicle-based future and boosting market confidence.
While six months passed, since the updation of this policy - the results seems to boost the adoption further more. With this being said, all the future policies must stimulate private engagement through the development of innovative business models suitable for public charging in India. The government, vehicle manufacturers, and independent charge point operators, who are all a part of this ecosystem, will be required to play a highly aggressive role in the future to ensure widespread adoption.
