THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The KSRTC has approached the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission to fix electricity tariff at the charging stations for its electric buses. The corporation has plans to shift the electric buses from the Nilackal-Pampa sector to major cities for daily operations after the Sabarimala pilgrimage season.
Although a 500-KVA transformer has been installed at the Nilackal base camp by the KSEB free of cost to charge the buses operating on the Nilackal-Pampa route, the Commission has not fixed the tariff for the electricity being consumed by the buses.
KSRTC CMD Tomin J Thachankary, in a letter, urged the chairman of the Commission to fix below `4.4 per kilowatt hour as tariff for the charging stations on par with the industrial tariff as the buses are pollution-free.
The transport corporation recommended the tariff to be below Rs 4 per kilowatt-hour for high-tension and low-tension charging stations to recharge the batteries during the off-peak hours between 10 pm and 6 am.
As a support scheme for early adoption of e-mobility, the draft electric vehicle policy had proposed a subsidised tariff of Rs 5 to Rs 5.5 per unit for electric vehicle charging stations. The KSRTC has asked the KSEB to install transformers at the charging stations free of cost as the corporation could not raise funds due to financial crisis.
Policy on e-mobility
The KSRTC, as part of its policy, should convert a part of its fleet of 6,000 buses into electric vehicles, through Union Government funding, by 2025, in order to substantially mitigate the losses from fuel costs.
Currently, the KSRTC procures around 1,000 new buses annually, and some of these can be replaced with electric vehicles.
Fast charging and battery swapping stations will be established across cities and on highways to create the infrastructure for electric vehicles. These stations could be set up by distribution companies (DISCOMs) or companies in partnership with them.
AC charging stations on streets
DISCOMs will set up AC charging stations on streets and parking lots, including locations where vehicles are parked overnight. They would have payment mechanism and the facility for users to charge vehicles overnight, but only during off-peak hours.
Recommendation
The transport corporation recommended the tariff to be below C4 per kilowatt-hour for high-tension and low-tension charging stations to recharge the batteries during the off-peak hours between 10 pm and 6 am.