The Delhi government completed the installation of 1000 Electric Vehicles (EV) charging points under the single-window facility, in less than a year.
This includes 682 charging points installed at 315 locations by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BSES), 150 charging points installed at 70 locations by BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), and 168 charging points installed at 50 locations by Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL).
According to an official statement, 59 percent of these chargers have been installed by RWAs, 15 percent of EV chargers are set up in office premises, and 13 percent in E-rickshaw parking.
The Delhi government will spend Rs 60 lakh as a subsidy on these 1000 charging points.
The Delhi EV policy provides for a subsidy of Rs 6000 per charging point for the first 30,000 slow charging points. The net cost paid by the user after deducting Rs 6,000 includes the EV charger, installation and maintenance costs for three years. The net cost of these EV chargers, after subsidy, is as low as Rs 2,500.
Under the single window process, the Delhi government, via the Discoms, has empaneled nearly 10 vendors for helping the citizens to choose from various EV chargers and provide installation of slow and moderate charges in just seven working days after the submission of the request. This helps the citizens to select trustworthy EV chargers from a single online platform by comparing the prices and features of different chargers. Once the request is submitted to the Discom, the impanelled agency, whose EV charger has been chosen, contacts the consumer for a site inspection. If the site is found feasible, the EV charger is installed by the agency on a mutually agreed date.
The widespread installation of charging points has been a key factor behind the accelerated adoption of EVs in Delhi. The Delhi EV Policy was launched in August 2020 to establish Delhi as the EV capital of India and accelerate the pace of EV adoption across vehicle segments, especially in the mass category of two-wheelers, public and shared transport vehicles, and goods carriers. Under the Delhi EV policy 2020, more than 72,000 Electric vehicles have been sold till now with more than 41,000 EVs sold in the Year 2022 itself and EVs contributing to nearly 10 percent of the total vehicles sold each month. Delhi also achieved a 12.5 percent monthly EV contribution in March this year, the highest in India among all states.
On this occasion, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, “Under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi is committed to bolstering the EV charging infrastructure across the city by providing a network of private and public charging facilities within 3 km travel from anywhere in Delhi. It is just the beginning as Delhi plans to install 18,000 charging points in the next three years making it easier for the citizens of Delhi to opt for an Electric vehicle instead of an ICE vehicle. By the end of 2024, Delhi is determined to have 1 out of every 4 new vehicles purchased to be an Electric vehicle.”
On completion of 1000 installations, Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson DDC and Chairperson of Delhi government’s Charging Infrastructure Working Group that devised the single window facility, said, “Delhi is known for bringing innovations in Electric mobility, one of which is the single window facility for EV charger installation – a first such innovation anywhere on India.
This initiative is aimed at purchasing EV chargers in Delhi simple and hassle-free. Delhiites, the DISCOMs of Delhi, and the impanelled agencies deserve credit for the success of this initiative. The Delhi Government will further boost the single window facility with the introduction of new EV chargers and impanelled agencies.”
In November 2021, the Delhi Government set in place an innovative, single-window facility for the installation of EV chargers in private and semi-public spaces in Delhi, which includes residential spaces like apartments and group housing societies, institutional buildings like hospitals, and commercial spaces like ‘Kirana’ stores, shops, and malls.
Through the facility, any resident of Delhi can request the installation of a charger from impanelled vendors in their premises, either through the online portal of DISCOM or by making a phone call. Consumers can also apply for a separate electrical connection with a special EV tariff.
Therefore, the single window facility enables any resident in Delhi to choose, order, install, and pay (net of subsidy) for EV chargers from impanelled vendors via their Electricity provider (Discom) portal. Delhi has 3 Electricity providers namely BRPL, BYPL, and TPDDL.