Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in India

14 Aug Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in India

(GS PAPER-3, Renewable Energy

Source- Pib, The Hindu)

Context: 

NITI Aayog has released a handbook to guide governments of states and local bodies to draft policies and norms towards setting up charging networks for electric vehicles (EV) in their respective states. The objective is to enhance and enlarge charging infrastructure and facilitate a rapid transition to electric mobility in India.

About the Book:

• The Handbook is jointly developed by NITI Aayog, Ministry of Power (MoP), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), and World Resources Institute (WRI) India.

• The Handbook will provide a systematic, comprehensive, and holistic approach for adoptions by implementing authorities and other stakeholders involved in planning, policy formulation, authorization, and execution of EV charging infrastructure. 

• It will present an overview of the technological, aspirational, and regulatory frameworks and governance structures that are important to facilitate EV charging infrastructure in the country.

• It will focus on the present needs of charging infrastructure creation while considering the evolving and growing nature of the sector.

• The transition to electric mobility is a global strategy to fight against climate change and global warming on which the Country has expressed its ambitious aspirations.

• The handbook addresses the common challenges which are faced by different local authorities in the creation of  EV charging networks. It serves as an initial point for the peer-to-peer exchange of best practices between the state government and local bodies,

• The EV ecosystem in India is evolving rapidly at a multi-fold speed and there are several players entering in the market of charging infrastructure.

• This handbook provides holistic governance for public and private stakeholders to work simultaneously in establishing robust and accessible EV charging networks.

Challenges:

• EV charging can create a new type of power demand for discoms, which play a pivotal role in providing seamless power supply connections for charging facilities and ensuring that the electrical distribution network has the requisite capacity to cater to this demand. 

• The Ministry of Power and its Central Nodal Agency for the establishment of Charging Infrastructure for EVs in India i.e. the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), has to work closely with DISCOMs and State agencies to overcome barriers to provide charging infrastructure implementation.

• With the rapidly growing share of renewables in the energy mix in the country, the benefits from a transition towards e-mobility are only expected to become more significant in the coming years.

Advantages of Electric Vehicle-

• Unlike fossil fuel-powered vehicles, electric vehicles can be charged at any location.

• It only requires a distinct approach to planning EV charging networks—one that allows them to charge whenever they are parked, either at night or during the day

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