Core city areas will soon get an additional 123 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The charging stations, some of which will have battery swapping options, will be established by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (Bescom). These are in addition to the 136 charging stations that have already been installed in 74 locations across Bengaluru.
Bescom’s managing director P. Rajendra Cholan told The Hindu that the power utility has identified 500 locations for EV charging stations. In the first phase, 123 stations will be set up. Tenders have already been floated and are in the final stages of evaluation.
“The charging stations will be up and running within three months. We have earmarked ₹25 crore for setting up these EV stations, with each unit coming up at ₹48 lakh,” he said. They will be fast charging stations and have 25-kVA (kilovolt-amps) capacity.
He added that the charging stations would be set up by third parties on land provided by Bescom. Several government agencies and departments, including Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., Bangalore Development Authority, and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, have given land to Bescom to set up EV charging stations. Bescom, which is the nodal agency, will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the identified vendor, whoever bags the tender.
Tariff
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) had already fixed the demand charges at a subsidised rate of ₹5 per unit. Consumers will have to pay ₹1 per unit for rental in addition to the service charge that will be levied by the third-party vendor. “In all, EV owners will have to pay a minimum of ₹6 per unit. One of the main criteria of choosing the third party is the least service charge. This is to ensure that consumers are not saddled with additional charges,” he said, adding that the tariff here is perhaps the most competitive and lowest when compared with other cities. “In other metros, the tariff for EV charging stations ranges from ₹13-₹15 per unit,” he pointed out.
