The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) on Thursday legalised the charging of battery operated rickshaws (e-rickshaws) and other e-vehicles, on domestic connections.
The power regulator also announced that incentives will be provided to government agencies or private companies to set up charging stations across the city.
Following the announcement by the power regulatory body, the Delhi government’s power department said that this will now allow them to launch a parking-cum-charging station for electronic vehicles.
No legal charging point
“At present, there are no legal charging points for e-rickshaws and other chargeable vehicles in Delhi. With incentives to set up these charging points, we can encourage civic agencies and private players to come forward and partner with us. We have been working on this project for around six months now, and the DERC’s announcement can be a launchpad for it,” said Varsha Joshi, Delhi’s Power Secretary.
These stations will be a common point where vehicles can be charged, while the owners leave it parked to go to office or shopping. The DERC member, B.P. Singh, on Thursday said that users can now charge their e-rickshaws at home or in factories on domestic connections. He said that this is likely to solve the problem of power theft, as the e-rickshaw owners can now legally charge their vehicles and will have to pay for the electricity consumed.
Eco-friendly move
“Illegal charging has been happening and just by closing our eyes to it, the problem will not go away. We thought by bringing them within the ambit of law, the discoms will be able to account for the electricity theft of this account,” Mr. Singh said.
The order released by the DERC stated that government agencies or private companies who want to set up charging stations can do so at just ₹5 to ₹5.5 per unit of power.
“This is a move to promote eco-friendly vehicles, which will go a long way towards protecting the environment,” Mr. Singh said.
