Delhi government plans to set up one public charging point per 15 EVs

The Delhi government has set up a new policy document for charging plans for Electric Vehicles (EV). The Delhi government electric vehicle charging plan includes incentives for operators of battery swapping facilities and one public charging station for every 15 electric vehicles by 2024.

The Delhi government unveiled its EV charging action plan after completing a two-year EV policy that was first introduced in 2020.The plan says the biggest obstacle to large-scale deployment of electric vehicles is inadequate charging infrastructure.

The newly released document titled 'Charging/switching infrastructure action plan for 2022-25' sets out that Delhi aims to have one public charging station for every 15 electric vehicles by 2024. The charging stations will spread evenly across the city and can be accessed within 3 kms travel anywhere from the city.

The plans show that if the battery is not sold with the vehicle, up to 50% of the incentive to purchase the battery will be given to the energy supplier so that the end user does not have to pay a large security deposit. Car manufacturers recommend registering swappable models separately according to the plan. This is necessary because the capacity of the battery in the same model varies between swappable and non-swappable electric vehicles, and the incentive to purchase is tied to the battery capacity, according to the documents.

The government said battery replacement could be a viable solution for two- and three-wheeled electric vehicles, which account for the highest share of electric vehicles in the country.

This will allow customers to purchase electric vehicles without batteries, significantly reducing the cost of electric vehicles. According to Rupesh, CEO of EVI Technologies “Typically, the cost of a battery is 40-50% of the total cost of an electric vehicle, isolating electric vehicle users from the risk of battery deterioration. Battery replacement as a solution could therefore be a key factor in accelerating the transition to e-mobility in India.”

Delhi aims to become one of the most EV-friendly cities in the world. Considering the prevalence of EVs and the public charging needs of various vehicle segments and use cases, a 1:15 ratio of chargers to EVs would require around 18,000 charging points (25% of the total vehicle registrations) to meet the demand for EVs in 2024.

He also added “Installation of EV charging points in Delhi can be hampered by lack of awareness, need to engage with multiple stakeholders, the cost of chargers and electrical connections, and lack of incentives. Regarding the existing challenges, he said it is difficult for consumers to find reliable chargers in the market, compatible with a wide range of vehicles.”