NREDCAP plans big to convert autos into E-vehicles

Tirupati: The New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of AP (NREDCAP) under its green initiative has chosen the pilgrim city to convert it into a 'Zero-emission' city by adoption of Electric Vehicle (EV) Technology which includes E vehicles and charging infrastructure.

Towards this initiative, it has launched a pilot project by introducing three electric retrofit kits to conventional fuel auto-rickshaws in Tirupati to make them electric autos and established one swapping station. The trials conducted in the city for the past couple of days were well appreciated by the stakeholders.

Now, NREDCAP has proposed to adopt the same technology for another 200 autos and 20 swapping stations in the temple city.

The Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of NREDCAP S Ramana Reddy, General Manager CB Jagadeeshwar Reddy and OSD Ramanjaneya Reddy have initiated the 'Go Electric' campaign in Tirupati on Sunday. The VC and MD has said that the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is financing for retrofit kit costs and battery/swapping stations being established by battery manufacturers.

He said that after the completion of the pilot project in Tirupati, they are planning to introduce another 100 retrofit kits at Visakhapatnam with financial assistance from BEE and subsequently another 100 each at Eluru and Rajamahendravaram with the financial assistance from CESL. With a retrofit kit the initial conversion cost would be about one third of the new vehicle which is most economical.

Further, current running cost of fossil-fuel vehicles is Rs 4.45 per km whereas for battery operated vehicles it is only Rs 2.50 per km with which the auto-drivers can save around Rs 195 per day. NREDCAP will set up more than 100 Kirana charge stations with charging infrastructure at every quarter kilometre for on-board charging of these vehicles on pay and use method. Charging stations will be set up at every 25 km on national and state highways.

Ramana Reddy said that battery swapping stations will be set up at every three kilometres in each city by which charged batteries can be swapped in less than two minutes. To take the 'Go Electric' initiative ahead, NREDCAP has targeted to supply one lakh electric two-wheelers to all government employees on EMI basis and it will be launched in this month itself. It has also proposed to convert all garbage autos to EV garbage autos in all municipalities and gram panchayats.