CHENNAI: In a big push to promote electric vehicles (EVs) and reduce pollution in the state, the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) will set up 500 EV charging stations across TN.
TNGECL had recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) for technical support. This is seen as a major step in TN’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the transport sector.
As part of this collaboration, a team of officials from TNGECL and ITDP visited New Delhi last week to study the national capital’s EV model. The visit focused on learning about policies, infrastructure, and strategies used to encourage EVs in Delhi.
“Due to increasing pollution caused by rising population and rapid urbanisation, Delhi had no choice but to move towards EVs. They have taken big steps to build EV infrastructure,” a senior TNGECL official told TNIE. Currently, Delhi has 2,500 electric buses and it plans to add 13,000 more by 2030. Almost 50% of its bus depots are already equipped with EV charging facilities, and work is under way at the remaining depots. The city has also introduced battery swapping systems for two and three-wheelers.
“EV owners can simply go to a station and exchange their batteries instead of waiting to charge. In fact, vehicle users do not own the batteries – they just use them and swap,” the official explained.
TNGECL Managing Director, Dr Aneesh Sekhar, told TNIE, “We are planning to set up 19 EV charging stations in Chennai, including 10 with swapping facilities. The locations have been identified, and a feasibility study is being carried out with ITDP’s help.”
He added, “According to the Ministry of Power’s guidelines, charging stations should be available every 25 km along highways. So in the first phase, we plan to set up 20 charging stations along the Chennai-Coimbatore and Chennai-Kanniyakumari highways.”
As part of this, TNGECL is planning to create full-fledged EV hubs with public-friendly facilities. Aneesh Sekhar said, “We plan to include waiting halls, restaurants, drinking water, toilet facilities, and large parking spaces at these charging stations. A feasibility study is being conducted at all 20 locations with the support of ITDP. Once that is completed, TNGECL will start the installation work.”
Talking about the present EV infrastructure in TN, he added, “Presently, the state has around 1,300 EV charging stations. We are working on developing a digital map that shows the locations of all these stations. This will help EV users easily locate nearby charging points.”
To encourage private participation in the EV sector, TNGECL is also developing a dedicated online platform to connect landowners and potential tenants interested in setting up EV charging stations. “This website will act as a bridge between landowners and tenants. Both parties can register their interests, and it will make the process of identifying suitable locations much smoother,” Aneesh Sekhar said.
Call to remove fixed charges
K P Karthikeyan, founder-CEO of Zeon Electric Private Ltd, urged TN to reduce electricity tariffs and remove fixed charges for EV charging stations. He said, “In New Delhi, the electricity charge for EV charging stations is Rs 4.50 per unit for Low Tension (LT) and Rs 4 for High Tension (HT) connections, with no fixed charges. Kerala, UP, and West Bengal also do not levy high charges. We are paying Rs 165 per kw as fixed charge for LT and Rs 304 for HT, in addition to Rs 9.75 per unit as electricity charges in TN, affecting viability of EV charging businesses.”