EV charging stations
Trying out electric car charging stations in and around the National Capital
Due to the rising pollution and the increasing provision of financial incentives by the government, the sale of electric vehicles is booming in India. Out of 1.56 lakh electric vehicles sold in FY20, 1.52 lakh were two-wheelers, 3,400 cars and 600 were buses. The growing sale of electric 2-wheelers is driven by the availability of a wide array of models in the country, their affordable prices, and their ability to serve as excellent alternatives to the traditional fossil fuel-powered mopeds. Similar is the case with electric 3-wheelers. However, the electric 4-wheeler segment is still growing with a handful of options available but the fact that there’s at least one option for every Rs 10 lakh, as well as the increasing year-on-year sale only resonates to the increasing faith in these products. The point that I am trying to make here is very obvious.
EVs are the in-thing today. Yet, many believe they are expensive and a maintenance nightmare, but in the longer scheme of things, is an investment that benefits you from the first month of ownership. It has less moving parts than your conventional car, so trips to the mechanics will be fewer, and fuel stops will be a thing of the past. A customary checkup of an EV takes less than an hour, and to curb range-anxiety, newer cars offer fast charging which juices up the battery within a few minutes. But for the industry to survive, the charging infrastructure requires special attention, planning, and strategy. While manufacturers provide home chargers, chances are you will rely more on public charging stations in your city than the one installed at the residence.
At present, the Central Government is focused on research, development and consumer incentives, while state governments support the infrastructure locally. EESL, an energy service company of the Government of India, installed a total of 172 public charging stations in the Delhi- NCR region, of which, 89 chargers have been commissioned. The capital alone has 71 charging stations spread across its 1,484 km2 area, so we decided to test a few of these charging stations. We compiled a list of 8 charging stations from South Delhi and parts of Central Delhi region. Few of these charging stations are located at places with high influx of the populace as well as vehicles throughout the day. We decided to locate these stations, charge our long term Hyundai Kona Electric for a certain amount of time and gain a first-hand experience of these public charging stations before moving on to the next location. Akin to fuel pumps, locating
ELECTRIC CARS HAVE AN INITIAL INVESTMENT OF AROUND 1.5 TIMES THAN CONVENTIONAL INTERNAL COMBUSTION (IC) ENGINE, BUT TIME HAS COME TO SWITCH TO A CLEANER VERSION
EV charging stations in and around the city is more trouble-free today than the initial days thanks to the ElectreeFi app, developed by EESL. Locations of active chargers can be accessed through the mobile app, and is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
We started from some of the busiest streets of Sarojini Market to Yashwant Place, and NDMC market in Malcha Marg, to even the high-street Chelmsford Club on Raisina Road, continuing to Akashwani Bhavan, and Palika Kendra, then to Safderjung Enclave, before retiring at the commercial centre of Connought Place. A quick search on the ElectreeFi app revealed most stations are equipped with a single charging unit so finding it free would be a matter of luck. After punching in the first location on the Kona’s 7-inch touchscreen via Android Auto, we moved towards Sarojini Market which is about 15 minutes from our start location at Safderjung Enclave. The area is in frenzy for most part of the day, but as we arrived at our destination, we spotted a
Mahindra e-Verito already juicing up, and would take about 45 minutes to free the spot, so we left for the next location, which was about a 1.5km away at Yashwant Place. Much to our relief, the only charging spot was free. However, the station was not in operation, so we promptly moved to the next location at Malcha Marg, near NDMC market, about 3km away, but were instead greeted by two cars blocking the path to the station. After loitering around in hopes of someone moving the wrongly parked vehicles, we made our way to Chelmsford Club on Raisina Road, which is at a walking distance from the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The charging stations here happen to be India’s first public charging plaza that can charge 14 e-cars simultaneously. Located on an extended curb, the layout was pretty self explanatory, and much to our relief, the area had a separate path for pedestrians which left us with sufficient room to slip in the Kona. Once parked, we accessed the ElectreeFi app, and followed the mentioned steps to pre-book our spot for a 20 minute charge.
A soft beep and incessant vibration on the app
indicates the end of the stipulated time. We unplugged the Kona with an additional 28 per cent charge over the initial 40 per cent at plug in, consuming 8 units which cost us Rs 80, at Rs 10 per unit, was enough for us to drive to our next locations. The process was hassle-free, and the app worked seamlessly. After our first taste at success, we decided to explore the accessibility of the remaining locations. Next up was Akashwani Bhavan, which again shared its reserved spot with a cluster of two-wheelers. The story was completely different at Palika Kendra, and Connought Place. The area doubles up as a nightlife and tourist destination apart from being a commercial hub, which meant that charging spots were occupied by either four- or two-wheelers. The one at Sarderjung Enclave, however, is well-maintained and operational. After spending the day doing the rounds of these charging stations, we realized that the electric mobility in India is at an embryonic stage, and in spite of the government’s guidelines, signal and significant monetary support, the EV market development remains on a bumpy road. Lack of accessible and operational charging stations are one of the primary reasons why customers often refrain from purchasing EVs. However, India has a lot to gain by converting its ICE vehicles to EVs at the earliest. Its oil-import bill would considerably reduce, and the alternative will definitely improve air quality. What this industry needs is a policy change that encourages access to latest technologies and a concerted effort by the Indian automobile industry to compete with the global competition in developing a sustainable charging infrastructure.
CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, THE BACKBONE OF ELECTRIC MOBILITY, IS AN AREA THAT REQUIRES SPECIAL ATTENTION, PLANNING, AND STRATEGY