Charged up for an e-vehicle revolution
After IOC, which set up an electric vehicle recharging station at Edappally,a Bangalore-based firm is planning 50 more such stations in Kochi
Published: 06th August 2019 06:59 AM | Last Updated: 06th August 2019 06:59 AM | A+A A-
KOCHI: Despite the state's eagerness to get e-vehicles up and moving, things seem to be moving at a snail's pace. The fundamental reason? Experts cite 'range anxiety', which is the worry that the electric vehicle might run out of charge before reaching a charging station and leave the person stranded, as the primary reason for hampering the growth of e-vehicles. The solution? Sufficient charging points and vehicles with extended range.
As a first step, the state had set up its first electric vehicle recharging station at the Indian Oil Corporation's retail outlet at Edappally. As a move to encourage more electric vehicles, IndianOil will charge all vehicles free of cost till September 30.
However, with 20 e-rickshaws and a handful of electric vehicles, more charging points are required. To encourage more e-vehicles, Bengaluru-based Altigreen will soon be setting up charging stations in Kochi. The company which is launching Altigreen Electric 3W Autos in Ernakulam, has already identified 50 such outlets across the city. Charging stations will be spread out within a three-km radius. Altigreen autos, however, will also be equipped with an app which will enable them to see the location of such charging stations.
“Though the government is putting together its plans for providing a charging infrastructure, Altigreen has also come up with a roadmap to provide for a charging network that will boost the confidence of the initial buyers of Altigreen Electric 3W Autos.
Normally a fully-charged autorickshaw can travel up to 100 km, however, the presence of charging stations in nearby localities is an added assurance to the auto drivers who are looking at shifting to electric autorickshaws and that is the reason for us to go ahead with establishing 50 charging stations across Ernakulam before the commercial launch of Altigreen Electric 3W Autos this year,” said Abhijit Saxena, director, Altigreen, in a release.
Modi 2.0 has made it clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it wants to see the rise of electric vehicles by 2023. From the reduction of GST on electric vehicles from 12 per cent to five per cent, to the proposal for custom duty exemption on import of specific components including solar batteries and charging infrastructure, the government demands three-wheelers to be electric by 2023. The state is planning to launch two lakh two-wheeler vehicles, 50,000 three-wheeler vehicles, 1,000 good carriers, 3,000 buses and 100 ferry boats that run on electric power by 2022.
Kerala has indeed taken the matter rather seriously with the state planning to launch two lakh two-wheeler vehicles, 50,000 three-wheeler vehicles, 1,000 good carriers, 3,000 buses and 100 ferry boats that run on electric power by 2022.
