New Delhi, Jul 2 (KNN) The Ministry of Power has released draft guidelines for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, proposing significant changes to tariff structures and facility requirements. The draft, unveiled on Monday, is open for stakeholder feedback until August 1, 2024.

A key proposal in the draft is a new tariff structure for electricity supply to EV charging stations. The Ministry suggests a single-part tariff, capped at the Average Cost of Supply (ACoS) until March 31, 2026.

Additionally, the draft introduces differential pricing based on solar hours (9:00 AM to 4:00 PM) at 0.7 times ACoS, and non-solar hours at 1.3 times ACoS.

The guidelines also address metering and billing aspects. Separate metering for EV charging stations is proposed to facilitate accurate consumption recording and billing.

Public charging stations would be required to offer both prepaid and post-paid options with time-of-day rates and solar hour discounts.

In a move to diversify power sources, the draft allows public charging stations to obtain electricity through open access, which must be provided within 15 days of application.

Applicable surcharges would be limited to current cross-subsidy levels, transmission charges, and wheeling charges.

The Ministry's proposal emphasises the importance of online services. Charging station operators would be required to partner with at least one online Network Service Provider (NSP) for remote booking of charging slots.

They would also need to provide detailed information on location, charger types, capacity, and service charges.

Infrastructure planning guidelines are also outlined in the draft. In urban areas, the proposal calls for one charging station per 1 km x 1 km grid by FY30.

For highways and expressways, it suggests one station every 20 km on both sides. To cater to long-range and heavy-duty EVs, fast charging stations are proposed every 100 km. The draft also recommends locating urban facilities for heavy-duty EVs in transport hubs and bus depots.

These proposals aim to standardize and expand EV charging infrastructure across India, potentially accelerating electric vehicle adoption.

Stakeholders are encouraged to submit their responses to help shape the final guidelines.

(KNN Bureau)