Government amends electric vehicle charging guidelines

In order to address the range of issues of Electric Vehicle Owners, a phase-wise installation of an appropriate network of Charging Infrastructure throughout the country has been envisaged in the new electric vehicle guidelines.

The new guidelines ensures that at least one charging station should be available in a grid of 3 Km X 3 Km in the cities and one charging station at every 25 Km on both sides of highways/roads.

"It has been envisaged that in the first phase all megacities with a population of 4 million-plus as per census 2011, all existing expressways connected to these megacities and important highways connected with each of these megacities may be taken up for coverage," an official statement said.

In the second phase, big cities like state capitals, Union Territory headquarters may be covered for distributed and demonstrative effect.

The guidelines and standards for charging infrastructure for the electric vehicles were issued by the Ministry of Power in December 2018.

The changes in the guidelines were made after the Power Ministry received a number of suggestions from various stakeholders.

After careful examination, it was decided to adopt some of the suggestions and issue the revised guidelines.

Ministry of Power has issued the revised guidelines and specifications regarding the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles on October 1 and shall supersede the earlier guidelines.

To address the range anxiety in inter-city travel and long-range or heavy-duty EVs it has been provided that fast-charging station for long-range or heavy-duty EVs like buses or trucks shall be installed at every 100 Kms, shall be installed one on each side of the highways or road located preferably alongside the Public Charging Station (PCS).

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under Ministry of Power has been nominated as the Central Nodal Agency.

Further, a provision for State Nodal Agency for the respective states has been provided for in the guidelines. The roles of the respective Nodal Agencies have been specified. These Nodal Agencies will act as the key facilitator in the installation of Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles throughout the country.