Delhi govt wants electric vehicle chargers in all big parking lots
This would target large commercial businesses that have parking lots with a capacity of more than 100 vehicles, like hotels, hospitals and malls.
2 min read
An electric vehicle charging station in Rafi Marg near Parliament, New Delhi. (Express Photo: Prem Nath Pandey, File)The Urban Development Department of the Delhi government has written to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to introduce a mandate in the bylaws for large private establishments to enable electric vehicle chargers in their parking lots, according to Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi.
This would target large commercial businesses that have parking lots with a capacity of more than 100 vehicles, like hotels, hospitals and malls, he said, while addressing a webinar organised by the Centre for Science and Environment on opportunities and challenges with regard to zero-emission vehicles.
At these large lots, a minimum of 5 per cent of parking space will have to be enabled with electric vehicle chargers, Shah said. These can be slow chargers, mainly for two and three wheelers, he added.
The move will introduce 20,000 to 25,000 slow chargers in the city, though it could take some time, Shah said.
Shah was speaking about charging infrastructure being a focus area for the Delhi government in the coming year.
The government is also attempting to set up 100 public EV charging stations through a competitive tender, and is hoping to close the tender in about a month or two, Shah said. These public charging points are likely to come up at prominent places, like metro stations.
The Delhi government is working with discoms to launch a single-window facility for EV chargers on private premises like apartment complexes and offices, Shah said. “By making a call to your discom, you can get charging equipment installed.”
To expand charging infrastructure, a mandate would have to be formulated and enforced such that any parking lot, whether owned by the DDA or MCD, will have at least 10 per cent of the parking spots enabled with EV chargers, he added.
It has been a year since the Delhi government’s electric vehicle policy was notified. The share of EVs in new vehicle registrations has gone up from 1.2 per cent before August 2020 to 3.3 per cent this year, Shah said. This, however, is still far from the government’s target of 25 per cent by 2024.
You May Like
