Tamil Nadu Will Eventually Have More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) aims to install public charging stations (PCS) throughout the state, not just at Metro stations. According to a top TANGEDCO official, the Central government had issued instructions to establish PCS by 2020, but due to the pandemic, this was not achievable. They were currently working on a new PCS pricing and waiting for permission from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC).

TANGEDCO now compensates Metro stations for PCS usage using the current commercial pricing.TANGEDCO is striving to fulfill the Centre's recommendation that PCS be installed every 25 kilometers on both sides of highways. The Ministry of Power said on January 14 that the corporation can welcome young entrepreneurs to start PCS.

G Veeramani, a resident of Chinmaya Nagar in Chennai, explained the need for additional PCS by saying that if he is charged for seven or eight hours by a two-wheeler, he may ride up to 50 kilometers. He may charge it for Rs 10 per hour at Metro stations within the city, but long rides are impractical due to the lack of charging facilities on national routes. Veeramani's two-wheeler is powered by a lead-acid battery and has a top speed of 30 kmph. He paid Rs 52,000 for it in 2019, and the model currently costs Rs 79,000 on the road.

E Nadarajan, State General Secretary of the BMS believes that if charging facilities are more visible, EV sales will increase. Under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme, the Union government has approved 651 charging stations for Tamil Nadu, although none have yet been erected. He stated that the Union government has published new guidelines for charging stations. TANGEDCO should take advantage of the possibility to increase revenue by establishing PCS. They should be installed within substations on national highways and within city limits to prevent power fluctuations and breakdowns.