UT focus on e-vehicles but infra missing, 23 charging stations still not functional
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On average, an electric scooter comes for Rs 1.20 lakh while an EV car for a mid-term user comes for an average Rs 14 to 16 lakh. (Express Photo) A fully charged electric two-wheeler can run up to 50 kilometres and a mid-size electric car can run for a maximum of 200 kilometres. A commuter coming from Derabassi or Ambala to Chandigarh for work may reach the office on his EV but how would he go back? For, there is absence of public charging stations in Chandigarh and around. Even if one is lucky to find a private charging station, the vehicle takes about six to seven hours to fully charge while the fast charging takes up to 60 minutes.
While the Chandigarh Administration may be asking people to buy electric vehicles ordering ban on specific limit of fuel-based vehicles every year, it has failed to provide the basic EV infrastructure, that is public charging stations to its people, let alone the mobile app the UT was to develop in this regard.
The first 23 public charging stations that UT had set up continue to lie non-operational until now.
While the UT had promised to set up 100 public charging stations, the first 23 it set up across 37 locations in the city after the formulation of the polcy in September 2022, have not seen any operations as yet.
At present, in the absence of any facility given by the UT, those owning electric vehicles either have been charging their vehicles at private charging stations or at home.
The Centre had sanctioned 48 charging stations for Chandigarh under Phase 1 of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) India scheme. While launching the policy, the Chandigarh Administration had even assured that for the convenience of EV?users, CREST will soon develop a mobile application to provide real-time information about charging stations, such as updates on time slot, type of station, load, location and tariff, but nothing has been done to date.
A senior officer of the CREST while speaking to The Indian Express said, “Our work is on in full swing. Not only the previous ones would be made functional but we are also in the process to set up new 44 stations.”
These 44 public charging stations will be developed at sites of parking of Elante Mall, multilevel parking in Sector 17, parking area of Sector 44-D market and Manimajra car bazaar.
On average, an electric scooter comes for Rs 1.20 lakh while an EV car for a mid-term user comes for an average Rs 14 to 16 lakh.
Under the policy, EV? owners charging their vehicles at home will pay domestic rates while those charging at public stations will be charged Rs 8 per unit for slow or medium charging, Rs 10 per unit for fast charging and Rs11 per unit for battery swapping.
‘Ban fuel-based vehicles coming from Haryana and Punjab’
Up in arms against the decision of the Chandigarh Administration of imposing a ban on the registration of fuel-based two-wheelers in July and that of four-wheelers in December for this fiscal year, Chandigarh Mayor Anup Gupta stated that there should be a ban on fuel- based vehicles coming in Chandigarh from neighbouring states.
“The idea of carbon-neutral city will be achieved only if an order is implemented in letter and spirit. People will begin getting their registrations done in Panchkula and Mohali then. It would be Chandigarh’s loss as well,” Gupta said.
He had further questions for the administration. “Also, I want to know a person who stays on rent on the first or the second floor, where will he charge his EV scooter or bike? And is the UT’s infrastructure ready? Can the Chandigarh Police begin its patrolling in the city on EVs?” Gupta asked.
Gupta stated that the Chandigarh Administration was compelling people to buy EV scooter or bike worth Rs 1.5 lakh. “Can any employee with Rs 10,000 salary afford that?” he asked. “There is just 5 to 7 per cent production of EVs in the country. No state is forcing people. There is no surety on the batteries too and they want people to buy expensive EVs right now,” Gupta added.
EV policy launched on September 20
Declaring itself a model EV city, the Chandigarh Administration on September 20 last year had while notifying the policy stated that within two years from now, they will entirely stop registrations of petrol-based two wheelers’ and, similarly, those of personal fuel-based cars will be reduced to 50 per cent after four years from now. While setting targets for each e-vehicle category every year, the Chandigarh Administration had also notified that all those buying electric vehicles from now on won’t just be getting a subsidy up to Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh on their electric vehicle but even the road tax here would be waived off for them during this policy period.
The minimum achievable targets were set for each year that a specific set of percentage would be mandatory for e-vehicles to be registered.
For this year, the UT said that it will cease the registrations of fuel-based two-wheelers by July and that of four-wheelers by December with the end of respective fiscal year targets.
The UT said that the aim of the ban was 10 per cent reduction in four-wheelers and 35 per cent in two-wheelers in the first year, that is 2022, as compared to the preceding year. The targets for the current financial year 2023-24 are 20 per cent reduction in four-wheelers and 70 per cent in two-wheelers.
The number of two-wheelers that can be registered this year has been fixed at 6,202 for two-wheelers, 22,626 for four-wheelers. As many as 4,032 two-wheelers and 2,685 four- wheelers have already been registered from April so far.
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