The State government of Telangana has expedited the process to set up public charging stations, allowing people using electric vehicles (EVs) to soon charge their vehicles by paying Rs 12.06 per kWh as service charges in Hyderabad.
According to the Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO), about 118 public vehicle charging stations are being installed across Hyderabad with the help of government incentives. These charging stations are coming up under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) II scheme.
The Ministry of Power had previously announced new EV charging infrastructure standards and guidelines. In compliance with the rules, the state government has fixed the ceiling cost of service charges to be charged by electric vehicle public charging stations. It approved the Rs 12.06 + applicable GST service cost maximum for electric vehicle rates covered by State/Central subsidies.
The Department of Heavy Industries has suggested this strategy to encourage the usage of electric vehicles by providing accessible charging stations. Apart from Hyderabad, another 20 public charging stations will be built in Warangal and Karimnagar, bringing the total number of public charging stations to 138. In Hyderabad city, there are already a few private charging stations. All of these will be ready by March, officials noted.
TSREDCO Managing Director, N Janaiah said that even though the service charge is fixed at Rs 12.06 per kWh, it is still cheaper than petrol and diesel. “If any four-wheeler requires 25 units to fully charge their vehicles, it costs Rs 300. When it comes to petrol, you can’t even get three litres of petrol with the same amount,” he mentioned according to The New Indian Express.
“On the other hand, it consumes just Rs 6 per kWh at residential places, which is almost half of what the State is charging at public charging stations. Since we are providing infrastructure and need to keep manpower, the cost is a little higher at public charging stations,” Janaiah added.
Two-wheelers can run up to 150 km after a full charge. For four-wheelers, 30 to 40 units are required for a full charge. If the price of petrol is considered at Rs 100 per litre and mileage is considered 16 km per litre, the cost of the car, per kilometre, will be about Rs 6.25.
If the price of diesel is considered at Rs 95 per litre and mileage is considered 22 km per litre, the cost of the car, per kilometre, will be around Rs 4.31.
An electric vehicle, on the other hand, requires 30.2 units of electricity on being fully charged, therefore if we consider Rs. 6 per unit as the electricity cost then it would cost Rs 181.2 for getting charged fully and then it would run for about 300km. In this way, its cost per kilometre will be close to 60 paise.
On a comparative basis, hence, electric vehicles would pass across both petrol and diesel-run vehicles, on cost as well as environmentally friendly scale.