Kolkata is reportedly gearing up to set-up 241 EV charging stations in the Metropolitan Area with a cost of Rs 125 crore.
According to ET , the authorities are making this move looking into the rising fossil fuel prices and the budgetary benefits for having EVs.
A N Biswas, power department commissioner and nodal officer for the state’s EV policy speaking at symposium on ‘Future Mobility: E vehicles in India’ organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology said “TERI is working with the government of West Bengal in identifying suitable locations for public charging stations.”
WBSEDCL, the nodal agency for establishing public charging stations in the state will soon publish the tariff and service charges. The publication notes that the running cost of EVs will be between Rs 1 and Rs 2 per kilometre.
Speaking to the publication Biswas said “Power minister Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay mandated that the city must have one charging station in every 3 square kilometres and one at every 25 kilometres on state and national highways. This infrastructure will enable EV motorists to roam around without having tension of running out of charge.”
Alekhya Datta, Fellow and Area Convenor of Electricity and Fuels Division, TERI said “We have planned 115 power charging stations in 3kmX3km area at Kolkata core, while 60 such stations are being considered for state and national highways. Ten of them will be for heavy vehicles.”