In a bid to transform Delhi as the next EV capital, Delhi government has decided to team up with discoms and civic bodies to create a coordinated strategy for rapid expansion of electric vehicle or EV charging infrastructure.
The decision was taken at the fifth meeting of the government’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure Working Group.
The Working Group, chaired by Vice Chairperson, Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) of Delhi, Jasmine Shah plays a role in guiding the overall strategy for the roll-out of public and private EV charging infrastructure in the city.
The Working Group discussed the need for a coordinated strategy that encompasses all relevant government entities to leapfrog the deployment of EV charging infrastructure in Delhi, the statement said.
Inputs from different agencies were discussed during the meeting and a plan for the same is set to be launched during the fourth Delhi EV Forum on August 10, which will also mark the two-year anniversary of Delhi’s EV policy
Shah said the national capital has led the country in establishing a wide network of EV charging points. “There are a total of 2,356 charging points and 234 battery-swapping stations currently operational at 1,892 locations in Delhi. Setting up an efficient, cost-effective, and equitable network of charging stations in Delhi requires coordination among multiple stakeholder departments. The working group and a coordinated strategy encompassing all the relevant stakeholders ensure that EV charging is not planned in silos,” he stressed.
The Working Group also reviewed the status of a tender for setting up 100 EV charging/swapping stations on public land parcels floated by Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) and under which, the Letters of Acceptance of Tender (LOAs) were awarded to four successful concessionaires in March 2022.
Currently, 896 public charging points and 103 battery swapping stations are getting installed under the DTL tender. The first set of charging stations are expected to be inaugurated next month.
Calling the tender innovative, Shah claimed it is a first-of-its-kind initiative to employ the PPP model to set up EV chargers, which resulted in the lowest charging rate in the world – Rs 2 per unit.
During the review, the DDC vice chairperson also noted some delays in the operationalization of a few sites caused by delays in laying upstream electrical infrastructure and he strictly directed the discoms to expedite the processes so that the deployment at these sites can be completed on time.