Tamilnadu Increases The Number Of Public Charging Stations

Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (TANGEDCO) is planning to build additional Public EV Charging Stations around the state to meet the rising demand for electric vehicles and charging stations.

Electric vehicle users (EVs) have expressed a need for additional public charging stations which are now only available in metro stations in Tamilnadu. Due to the scarcity of charging stations along the motorways, people believe that long journeys are impossible and that is a fact to a certain extent.

According to the officials, tariff rate increases are also in consideration and TANGEDCO is working on a new price plan that will be approved by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC). Right now, Metro terminals charge Rs 10 per hour, and a two-wheeler powered by electricity and using a lead-acid battery may travel up to 30 kilometers in one hour of charging whereas the Li-ion battery-powered vehicles have more range but are expensive than lead-acid batteries.

Electric vehicles are a major way to decrease greenhouse gases, which is why the Union Government has been pushing them hard. Power Minister RK Singh stated in response to a question in Parliament that over 7.5 lakh electric vehicles had been registered in the nation since 2012.

It has ordered that public charging stations be installed every 25 kilometers on both sides of the roadway. TANGEDCO has already started working in this direction. The Ministry of Power, Government of India, has also notified state-owned power companies such as TANGEDCO to encourage young entrepreneurs to manage the public charging stations. Under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) plan, the Centre has already sanctioned 651 public charging stations for Tamil Nadu, however not a single one has been erected in the state yet, with the exception of Metro stations.

According to TANGEDCO’s senior engineers, the agency must install public charging stations at substations on national roads as well as within city borders to address power fluctuations. The issue can be solved by installing them at substations.

BMS (the electricity wing of the engineers association) State general secretary E Nadarajan opined that the EV sales would increase if charging stations have better visibility. The Union government has sanctioned 651 charging stations for Tamil Nadu under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme, but none has been built so far.

“Now, that the Union government has issued new guidelines for charging stations. TANGEDCO should use it as an opportunity to generate revenue by setting up public charging stations. To avoid power fluctuations and failures, they should be set up within substations on national highways and in the city limits,” Nadarajan said.