Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Company Limited (KEL) expects to commission the first of its electric vehicle charging stations in February. The charging station is coming up at the Mamala unit of the public sector company near Kochi.
The facilities being built by the company will include a 60-kW rapid DC charger, 7.5-kW AC charger and AC charger type 2, 22-kW chargers, according to a Facebook post by Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan.
KEL also has plans to build charging stations for private and public enterprises and is considering the possibility of building custom-made charging stations in collaboration with car producers in the country.
The total cost of setting up a charging station is estimated to be around ₹65 lakh. The cost includes that of accompanying facilities such as cafeteria and restroom at the station.
The Minister’s post stated that the rapid DC chargers being established would help charge a motor vehicle up to 80% within half-an-hour. The cost of the establishment of the DC charger will be ₹22 lakh and type two AC charger will be ₹8 lakh.
KEL Managing Director Shaji M. Varghese said the need for charging stations would increase rapidly as electric vehicles became the common mode of transport. Kerala would require a charging station every 10 km and KEL’s idea was to make use of the new opportunity, he added.
KEL is among the first public sector undertakings in the country to venture into the field of electric vehicle charging stations. Mr. Varghese said the Minister’s Facebook post had resulted in several enquiries from private entrepreneurs. The development was a pleasant surprise as more people had become aware of the new opportunity, he added.
