New e-vehicle charging stations cut from 200 to 123

The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has trimmed the list of proposed electric vehicle charging stations from 200 to 123, mainly on account of space constraints in the city.

The trimming follows a closed-door meeting between Bescom officials, government agencies and other stakeholders in the second week of July. The meeting was attended by officials of the transport and energy departments, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

Presently, there are two charging stations in Bengaluru: one at the Bescom head office and another at the Vidhana Soudha. The utility agency is in the process of setting up 83 EV charging stations in the first phase of the project.

The new charging stations are coming up at government offices as well as on private properties, according to Bescom managing director Rajendra Cholan. The majority of stations will come at government offices such as the BBMP head office, metro rail parking lots, Bescom offices, BMTC depots, bus terminals and BWSSB offices.

The locations are being chosen depending upon the available space. Places close to commercial establishments and residential areas are being picked to encourage people to buy electric vehicles. Another criterion is proximity to 11kV lines so as to minimise infrastructure costs and avoid delays, Cholan said.

Bescom is also preparing a detailed project report and has laid out three business models for EV charging stations: first, Bescom will invest in setting up the stations; second, it will set up the stations and outsource them; third, it will share the parking space, but the investment will be made by the other stakeholder.

Bescom is in talks with private companies to create infrastructure for the project.

The utility agency says funding will not be a problem as the state government has promised Rs 4 crore for setting up EV charging stations through the transport department.

Criteria for opening EV charging stations Availability of electric infrastructure Availability of large space Proximity to 11kV line As per Ministry of Power guidelines, there should be space for two DC and two AC points, and for simultaneous charging of at least one car and a two-wheeler