No power, no worry: Delhi roads to soon be peppered with EV charging points

Delhi has a clear ambition to be the electric vehicle (EV) capital of the country and while there are incentives on offer to buy battery-powered vehicles here, there is also a clear focus on improving charging infrastructure. While government-private sector partnership is claimed to help EV infrastructure grow at a quicker pace, the Delhi government now has announced plans of at least 5,000 kerbside charging points across city roads for the convenience of motorists.

Kerbside charging points are fast becoming common in several cities across the globe, like New York and London, and while used primarily in case of an emergency, these can become vital lifelines for battery-powered vehicles which make use of either the street lamp post or a dedicated charging point. This could ensure that when an EV owner detects a low battery, does not have to go hunting for an EV charging station. And because these would come up close to on-street parking areas, security of the vehicle is likely to be taken care of as well.

Officials have outlined that as many as 5,000 such kerbside charging stations will come up on Delhi roads over the course of the next three years. These would provide charging options to electric two and three wheelers if and when required. This is part of a three-year action plan previously announced by the Delhi government which envisages 18,000 charging points here.

According to estimates, there are around one lakh lamp posts across Delhi and to begin with, a pilot project would be launched with 100 chargers. The location of these would be identified by discoms with Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) as the state nodal agency of operationalising the complete pilot along with the state EV cell of the Transport department

(With inputs from PTI)