DTC to expand its EV charging infra for heavy commercial vehicles

“The preliminary process to set up the charging stations has started. Initially, we plan to develop EV infrastructure at nine depots. Gradually, it will be expanded across all depots, wherever space is available,” said an official.

This initiative aligns with the Delhi government’s plan to fully convert the public transport fleet to electric vehicles within the next year-and-a-half.

The estimated cost for the charging infrastructure at these depots is over Rs 31 crore, said officials. It will include 1,600 KVA compact substations and 240 KW chargers, which will be capable of charging hundreds of buses and other heavy commercial vehicles.

Tenders have been floated for the same, said officials. “The tendering process will take about one month. Once work is awarded, the civil and electrical works will begin by next year, ” an official said.

In September, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated six new switching substations at DTC depots as part of the charging infrastructure expansion.

Officials said charging infrastructure expansion is a need of the hour as the government plans to add 8,000 e-buses by 2026. Currently, the city has 3400 e-buses, and the number is likely to increase to 6,000 in the next few months.