A World Resource Institute study suggested that 80 percent of charging points in the city should be installed at residential complexes to enhance electric vehicle (EV) mobility.
EV owners fail to get the permission to install charging points in residential complexes in the city. Most of them have to go to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) charging stations to charge their vehicles.
Mahesh, an electric auto driver said “I haven’t got permission to set up a vehicle charging point at my apartment. I have to go to BESCOM charging point to charge my auto. It would be better if the Residents Welfare Association (RWA) cooperate with me and let me set up a charging point in the parking lot”
Shrinath Babu, from Ideal Home Residents Association said “Installation of common charging stations is a big debate. There are 25 residences where we cannot install charging points for three vehicles from the society fund.” He added, “We do not have any objection to installing individual charging points.”
A virtual event, e-Vahan, held on Thursday by the Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF), charging of EVs was the focus. Vishnu Gutappalli, governing council member of BAF said that the campaign is about promoting e-mobility in Bengaluru. E-Vahan campaign has made a telegram group for RWAs and charging infrastructure vendors to interact and make deals with each other.
In the same event Mr. Rajendra Cholan, Managing director at BESCOM said that the government of Karnataka has announced 1000 charging stations in the 2021 budget to be set up with the help of BESCOM and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). BESCOM has set up an independent department for EV infrastructure and is planning to set up 300 EV charging stations at government buildings. Further, the government of Karnataka is amending the laws, which will make it mandatory for RWAs and malls to set up EV charging points in the parking area.
One of the society in Bengaluru has 1700 residents. A lot of potential EV buyers were demanding a separate charging point straight from their home power connection from the RWA. But if we look into the practical aspects, it would be better to establish a common charging station for parking. Like us, I hope many take the inspiration and establish EV charging points at their buildings.”
Tejas, a scooty owner said “I have a bungalow therefore I can charge my scooty with the portable charger but a lot of my friends who own EVs face problems in installing charging points at residential complexes.”
For smooth implementation of EV infrastructure, the government has to overcome a big challenge. They have to understand whether the ecosystem for EV to be promoted or the buyers should be encouraged.
Most of the malls in Bengaluru also don’t have any charging points in the parking lot. A representative of Global mall said “We have recently opened this mall and we are still trying to figure out ways to install EV charging stations in the parking lot.”
Residential societies are constantly trying to promote common EV charging points at residential complexes; from the government side we need a single window clearance system.
Residential charging infrastructure plays a big role in promoting the EV ecosystem. According to research 80 percent of the charging ecosystem should be established in residential complexes to avoid long charging time problems.
