Will there be enough charging stations for electric cars in New Delhi?

In India, electric car sales are rising due to increased pollution and government incentives. Of the more than one lakh electric vehicles sold in 2020, 152,000 were motorcycles, 3,400 cars, and 600 buses. The growth in electric motorcycle sales is due to the range of various models in the market available at low prices and as an excellent alternative to petrol and diesel vehicle. The same thing goes for e-autos and e-rickshaws. However, the 4-wheel electric vehicles are expanding and companies are launching new models still there is a lack of options for affordable electric cars in the market.

EVs are getting popular among Indians and in the cities like Delhi day by day. However, people still oppose the use of EVs stating the reason that they are costly and are of no use in the long run due to the low range of most electric cars. On the other hand, most people still agree with the fact that it will benefit the country and revive the environment. Because it has fewer moving parts than a normal car, it reduces the number of trips to mechanics and saves time which people waste while visiting petrol pumps. Regular EV checks are done in less than an hour, and to alleviate range concerns, newer vehicles offer fast charging, which can extend battery life in a few minutes. However, for the business to survive, the infrastructure needs special attention, planning, and strategy. Manufacturers offer home chargers, but you can also trust the public charging stations in Delhi.

Delhi and EVCS!

Currently, the central government focuses on consumer research and development in the EV industry, while the state government supports local infrastructure development. EESL, the energy service company of the Indian government, has installed 172 public charging stations in the Delhi-NCR, out of which 89 are operational. In Delhi, there are 71 charging centers covering an area of ​​1484 square kilometers out of which eight charging stations are in South and Central Delhi. Some of these are in places where a large number of cars are packed like malls, metro stations, and a few popular places in Delhi.

Number of Charging Stations in Delhi

East Delhi

118 charging stations

141 charging points available

60 battery swapping stations

West Delhi

60 charging stations

83 charging points are available

68 battery swapping stations

South Delhi

157 charging stations

218 charging points are available

5 battery swapping stations

Central Delhi

48 charging stations

51 charging points available

12 battery swapping stations

South West Delhi

79 charging stations

191 charging points available

24 battery swapping stations

North Delhi

24 charging stations

24 charging points are available

12 battery swapping stations

North East Delhi

14 charging stations

14 charging points are available

6 battery swapping stations

North West Delhi

43 charging stations

49 charging points available

58 battery swapping stations

More and more charging stations are in pipeline

Hundred new e-vehicle charging stations will be installed by 27 June'22. Power Minister Satyendar Jain recently said that by June 27, 100 new charging stations for electric vehicles would be set up at major places in Delhi. Of these, 71 will be at metro stations. The number of charging points in Delhi will more than double in the next three months.

Addressing the reporters, Jain said there would be a fee of Rs 2 per unit for using this facility. He claimed that this would be the minimum in the country for such a number of EVs. Jain said that under the EV policy of the Kejriwal government, one charging station would be set up at a distance of every three kilometers. Tenders were invited for setting up 500 charging points at 100 charging stations. Locations for setting up charging stations have been identified at 100 major locations. Of these, 71 will be at metro stations. According to the tender, it will be built under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP). This will include land, cabling, and transmission infrastructure from the government and equipment and personnel provided by the company.

The minister said that the tender was selected based on the minimum service charge. All the charging stations will be made operational in three months. Jain said that after signing the agreements by April 8, all stations would be made operational by June 27. Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) Vice-Chairman Jasmin Shah said that at present there are around 400 charging points. They are owned by the government and private companies. Once 500 new charging points are installed, their number will more than double. Shah also said that 100 places in the national capital have been selected based on a scientific survey. These, those areas have been specially selected, where till now there was no charging facility.

There is still a need to expand the charging station network in Delhi

India's electric vehicles are still in their infancy and despite government incentives and initiatives, traffic lights, and significant funding, the electric car market is on a difficult track. The lack of working charging stations is one of the main reasons why customers often do not buy an electric car. But India can at the earliest make a lot of money by converting combustion engines to electric vehicles. The petrol price will be significantly reduced and alternatives will certainly improve the air quality of Delhi and many polluted cities of India. The industry needs policy changes to facilitate access to the latest technologies to develop and expand the charging station network.