In an attempt to fight the high pollution levels in the country, the Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Mr Anant Gangaram Geete inaugurated eighteen charging stations in the Dwarka metro station in New Delhi.
During the inauguration, Mr Anant Gangaram Geete said that the charging stations will be able to hold up to 400 e-autorickshaws. These autorickshaws will be able to charge for free. He added with enough sponsors, charging will remain free.
Last month, Mr Anant G. Geete inaugurated two charging stations, one for fast-charging (DC) and the other for slow-charging (AC), in Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi.
The charging infrastructure that consists of eighteen charging stations was developed by Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL).
In August, the Ministry said the Department allocated 455 electric buses to selected cities and special category states, through an Expression of Interest (EoI). This is a part of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission) and falls in line with the Government’s objective to promote electric mobility in the country.
The Department also approved funding for 130 electric buses to Ahmedabad, Himachal Pradesh, and Navi Mumbai.
The Department of Heavy Industry plans to fund the setting-up of 200 charging stations and the establishment of a solar-based charging infrastructure for EVs. REIL has also already installed 3 solar hybrid chargers in Jaipur.
The Ministry is planning to launch 25 charging stations in Bangalore. The project will be funded by the Public Fast Charging Infrastructure Network for Electric-Vehicles under the Government.
The press release said that currently, 45 charging stations have been set up in several cities in the country.
To reduce pollution and make cities cleaner and eco-friendlier, the Government is working on FAME-II Scheme. It will focus on mass and shared public transportation based on the electric powertrain.
India launched the National Mission on Electric Mobility in 2013 with the objective to develop e-mobility in Mission Mode. A Mission Mode Project (MMP) is an individual project within the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). Within the NeGP, “mission mode” implies that projects have clearly defined objectives, scopes, and implementation timelines and milestones, as well as measurable outcomes and service levels.
As reported earlier, the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India) Scheme was launched in 2015 to provide incentives to create demand, encourage the establishment of an EV-friendly ecosystem, infrastructure, and to develop technology through R&D.
The first phase of the scheme is being implemented through four focus areas, the first being demand creation, which provides incentives to buyers of electric and hybrid vehicles (xEVs) in the form of upfront reduced purchase prices.
The other areas are pilot projects, charging infrastructure and technology platforms, and R&D.
This second phase of this scheme (FAME II) will further develop the country’s EV charging infrastructure to promote electric mobility. It also plans to bolster the EV industry with interventions in demand and supply and R&D efforts.
