Bengaluru: BESCOM to set up 140 EV chargers in six months to boost network, promote sustainability

Bengaluru: In a major attempt to give a boost to the electric vehicles’ charging network, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) will soon add 140 EV chargers. The company will complete the task in the next six months to promote sustainability. Currently, BESCOM is operating 136 EV chargers in Bengaluru city.

P Rajendra Cholan, managing director, BESCOM, in a statement informed that tenders have been invited to set up 1,000 EV charging stations across Karnataka in a PPP model, The Indian Express reported.

“There are seven smart cities in the state and it is envisaged to concentrate nearly 50 per cent of these stations in these smart cities with Bengaluru having nearly 150 stations. The remaining stations have been uniformly allocated across the state in each district headquarters and highways. We have involved other discoms to coordinate this activity locally for identifying the locations and faster implementation of the project,” he said.

In March 2022, the Department of Heavy Industries through the FAME Scheme Phase-2 had sanctioned 172 EV charging stations to the state out of which, Bengaluru city had an allocation of 152 charging stations.

“BESCOM has executed MoUs with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL) for installing these charging stations across Bengaluru City,” Cholan further added.

In line with the state government electric vehicles and energy storage policy, a dedicated electric vehicle cell was created as a single-window agency for charging infrastructure-related matters.

“In coordination with the ISGF, BESCOM has carried out a study on the impact of EV charging stations on the grid. BESCOM and KPTCL together are well prepared for taking up necessary works for faster EV adoption,” Cholan asserted.

Furthermore, the report also mentioned that Bengaluru is facing the effects of an overburdened transport system where the private vehicle registration is increasing and public vehicle registration is decreasing.