Telangana readies for an electric future with EV policy, flags off 50 vehicles
Mahindra & Mahindra deploys 50 electric vehicles with Uber on a pilot basis in Hyderabad amid Telangana's push to create an environment that encourages the adoption of EVs and installation of related infrastructure.
Electric mobility is here to stay, and has now reached Telangana. The state is among those to have launched its own electric vehicle (EV) policy, which it plans to announce after the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha ends on May 19.
Speaking at a programme in Hyderabad on Friday, Jayesh Ranjan, State Principal Secretary, Industries, IT and Commerce, said “The electric vehicle policy will focus on setting infrastructure and helping EV usage become a reality.”
The state is keen to add to the Central Government policy, which has announced Faster Adoption and Manufacture of Electric Vehicles (FAME).
The state government also flagged off 50 EVs deployed by Uber in partnership with Mahindra & Mahindra. Hyderabad has more than 30 functional charging stations, the second largest number after Bengaluru with close to 50 charging stations. In Bengaluru, Ather Energy has the most number of stations. Some of the companies keen to set up EV infrastructure include Fortum and Indian Oil.
Also read: Eight states in India are racing ahead, boosting electric vehicles through policy groundwork
Telangana is working hard to promote the use of EVs. The state finalised its EV policy last year, and decided to announce it after the launch of FAME II. In January, it announced that no road tax would be collected from EV owners.
The Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission has created a new category of electricity consumers for EVs. This category will have a separate tariff structure for EV charging or battery swapping stations – Rs 6 as compared to Rs 6.04/kWh (the average cost of service across the state). The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation has deployed 40 electric buses. The Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited is also setting up charging stations to encourage the adoption of EVs.
Even the state of Maharashtra has plans to set up EV charging stations across the State. As of now, there are only two charging stations in Pune.
“Over the next decade, as the presence of solar electricity increases, every house can become a charging station, which means anyone can give power to, say, electric vehicle owners. This can be managed through the Magenta app, which will match demand and supply of charging stations and vehicles that need charging,” said Maxson Lewis, Founder of Magenta Power.
Magenta Power, which has 32 charging stations as of now, aims to set up over 450 stations by next year. It has also set up a solar power-based charging station for EVs on the Mumbai-Pune highway. “We have installed India’s first EV billing meter. We will soon also put in place charging installations in Pune, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad,” he said.
The startup also has a fast-charge solution that can charge an EV of 15 KV capacity in half an hour, which can give a car a range of around 140 km.
Clearly, it’s time that other states also hit the ground running when it comes to EVs.
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