Delhi adds 1,000 pvt EV charging points within a year

Delhi government launched a single-window facility to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles by making charging widely available

Over 1,000 charging stations have been installed at the behest of residents’ associations, private individuals, companies and others in the one year since the Delhi government launched a single-window facility to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles by making charging widely available.

As many as 59% of these chargers have been installed by RWAs, 15% have been setup in office premises and 13% in e-rickshaw parking. (Sourced)

A government official used to earlier carry his electric bike to his 6th floor apartment to charge the vehicle. “It was a tough task and also risky, so I got the EV charging facility installed in the covered parking area,” said the official, who wished to remain unnamed. “I applied through the website of a discom (power distribution utility), which charged me ₹3,500 for installing the charging point.”

The charging station is now also used by some of his friends living in the tower block. “I do not charge my friends because it is not a commercial practice,” he said.

The Residents Welfare Society of Vasant Kunj’s Sector A has got three charging points installed. “It is a semi-private charging facility, where currently three EVs of the residents are charged,” said Amit Agrawal, president of the association. “It was one of the first charging point installed under Switch Delhi campaign. It has made EV use easy. Now, the users take turns to charge their vehicles. We charge ₹7 per unit.”

Tarun Dalmia, who lives in D Block of Vivek Vihar, said he got a charging point installed at his house to charge his car. “The facility has only a single charging point and the average cost is ₹15 per hour. It has made it easy for me to charge my vehicle, which I usually do at night,” said Dalmia. “Earlier, I was had to struggle to do this.”

There are many such instances of higher ease of charging. Of the 1,000 charging points, 682 have been installed at 315 locations by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BSES), 150 charging points installed at 70 locations by BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), and 168 charging points installed at 50 locations by Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), a Delhi government official said, seeking anonymity.

As many as 59% of these chargers have been installed by RWAs, 15% have been setup in office premises and 13% in e-rickshaw parking, he said. The Delhi government will spend ₹60 lakh as subsidy on these 1,000 charging points, the official added.

In November 2021, the Delhi government launched a single-window facility for installation of chargers in private and semi-public spaces, which includes residential spaces like apartments and group housing societies, institutional buildings like hospitals, and commercial spaces like shops and malls.

Under the, any Delhi resident can request installation of a charging station from empanelled vendors in their premises, either through the online portal of a distribution company or by simply making a phone call. Consumers can also apply for a separate electrical connection with a special power tariff.

Jasmine Shah, vice-chairperson of the Dialogue and Development Commission and chairperson of Delhi government’s Charging Infrastructure Working Group, which devised the single-window facility, said this initiative is aimed towards making the purchase of EV chargers in Delhi simple and free from hassles.

The Delhi EV policy provides for a subsidy of ₹6,000 per charging point for the first 30,000 slow-charging points. The net cost paid by the user after deducting ₹6,000 includes the charger, and installation and maintenance cost for three years. The net cost of these chargers, after subsidy, is as low as ₹2,500.

Under the single-window facility, the Delhi government has empanelled 10 vendors to help people choose from various EV chargers and provide installation of slow and moderate speeds in just seven working days after the submission of request.

“Once the request is submitted with the discom, the empanelled agency, whose EV charger has been chosen, contacts the consumer for a site inspection,” another official said. “If the site is found feasible, the EV charger is installed by the agency on a mutually agreed date.”

Since Delhi government launched its electric vehicle policy in August 2020, more than 72,000 electric vehicles have been sold till now, with more than 41,000 EVs sold in 2022 alone. Now, EVs contribute to nearly 10% of the total vehicles sold each month in the national capital.

The Delhi government is committed to bolster the EV charging infrastructure across the city by providing a network of private and public charging facilities within a 3km radius from anywhere in the city, said transport minister Kailash Gahlot.

“It is just the beginning, as Delhi plans to install 18,000 charging points in the next three years, making it easier for citizens to opt for an electric vehicle instead of an ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle,” Gahlot aid. “By the end of 2024, Delhi is determined to have one out of every four new vehicles purchased to be an electric vehicle.”