<p>Bengaluru: Providing infrastructure for the increasing use of Electric Vehicles (EV) in apartment complexes, especially older ones, has to be done in a cautious manner, experts warned.</p><p>Older apartments and buildings with lower load capacity and old wiring may be at risk of accidents if large numbers of vehicles are charged continuously. Though the installation of public or shared charging stations requires approval from Bescom, it does not completely audit building’s wiring, sources said.</p><p>“In many cases, when buildings are older than 15 years, we advise our members to get building wiring checked to ensure that it is capable of handling load. The electrical inspectorate also helps the audit,” said Satish Mallya from Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF).</p>.No SOP yet; Karnataka mulls EV charging safety norms after auto driver's death.<p>Senior Bescom officials said that the resident welfare associations should also act responsibly and keep track of charging facilities. </p><p>“Overcharging is a major problem. This has to be addressed. While many of the smart chargers have an auto cut off, in a few cases it does not get triggered and that leads to accidents. Residents should be careful to remove vehicle from charging,” a senior Bescom official said.</p><p>While many apartments are not equipped with an emergency response plan for untoward incidents with respect to EV charging stations, the rise in accidents has forced many apartment associations to chalk out measures.</p><p>“The association has taken a strict stand on safety issues. Only community charging points have been permitted. Some individuals wanted to instal separate charging points for their vehicles, but we did not allow it,” said Manjunath Mudolkar, president of VBHC Palmhaven-2 A Block, an apartment complex.</p><p>Many apartments are now getting their electrical infrastructure checked and changed to prevent hazards.</p><p>Subramanya Reddy, an electrician, said a 16-mm armoured heavy cable is now being installed at an apartment complex at Kengeri. “The earlier 6 mm cable could melt and pose danger,” he said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Providing infrastructure for the increasing use of Electric Vehicles (EV) in apartment complexes, especially older ones, has to be done in a cautious manner, experts warned.</p><p>Older apartments and buildings with lower load capacity and old wiring may be at risk of accidents if large numbers of vehicles are charged continuously. Though the installation of public or shared charging stations requires approval from Bescom, it does not completely audit building’s wiring, sources said.</p><p>“In many cases, when buildings are older than 15 years, we advise our members to get building wiring checked to ensure that it is capable of handling load. The electrical inspectorate also helps the audit,” said Satish Mallya from Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF).</p>.No SOP yet; Karnataka mulls EV charging safety norms after auto driver's death.<p>Senior Bescom officials said that the resident welfare associations should also act responsibly and keep track of charging facilities. </p><p>“Overcharging is a major problem. This has to be addressed. While many of the smart chargers have an auto cut off, in a few cases it does not get triggered and that leads to accidents. Residents should be careful to remove vehicle from charging,” a senior Bescom official said.</p><p>While many apartments are not equipped with an emergency response plan for untoward incidents with respect to EV charging stations, the rise in accidents has forced many apartment associations to chalk out measures.</p><p>“The association has taken a strict stand on safety issues. Only community charging points have been permitted. Some individuals wanted to instal separate charging points for their vehicles, but we did not allow it,” said Manjunath Mudolkar, president of VBHC Palmhaven-2 A Block, an apartment complex.</p><p>Many apartments are now getting their electrical infrastructure checked and changed to prevent hazards.</p><p>Subramanya Reddy, an electrician, said a 16-mm armoured heavy cable is now being installed at an apartment complex at Kengeri. “The earlier 6 mm cable could melt and pose danger,” he said.</p>