CHENNAI: If you use an electric vehicle (EV) or plan to, your dream of doing long trips is now closer to reality. Public charging stations (PCS) soon won’t just be at Metro stations, as the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) plans to set them up across the State.
“The Central government had given instructions to set up PCS in 2020, but this wasn’t possible due to the pandemic. We are now preparing a new tariff for PCS, and waiting for the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (TNERC) approval,” said a senior TANGEDCO official.
Presently, TANGEDCO charges Metro stations for PCS usage based on the existing commercial tariff.
The Centre had said PCS should be set up every 25 km on both sides of highways, and TANGEDCO is working to implement this, the official added. On January 14, the Ministry of Power said the corporation can invite young entrepreneurs to set up PCS.
Explaining the need for more PCS, G Veeramani, a resident of Chinmaya Nagar in Chennai, said, “I can ride up to 50 km if I charge by two-wheeler for seven or eight hours. Within the city, I can charge it at Metro stations for Rs 10 per hour, but long rides are impossible since there are no charging stations on national highways. More people would buy EVs if this issue is resolved.”
Veeramani’s two-wheeler has a lead-acid battery and can travel up to 30 kmph. He bought it in 2019 for Rs 52,000, and the model’s on-road price is now Rs 79,000.
‘TANGEDCO should use PCS to generate more revenue for State’
BMS (the electricity wing of the engineers association) State general secretary E Nadarajan opined that the EV sales would increase if charging stations have better visibility. The Union government has sanctioned 651 charging stations for Tamil Nadu under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme, but none has been built so far.
“Now, that the Union government has issued new guidelines for charging stations. TANGEDCO should use it as an opportunity to generate revenue by setting up PCS. To avoid power fluctuations and failures, they should be set up within substations on national highways and in the city limits,” Nadarajan said.