Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to promote the use of electric vehicles the Kerala government is in the midst of establishing charging stations alongside national highways, MC Road and state highways. It has now announced the rates for charging EVs.
Charging a vehicle between 10 pm and 6 am will cost Rs 10 a unit, while it will be Rs 12 between 6 am and 6 pm. During the peak 6 pm to 10 pm, the rate per unit will be Rs 15.
The rates announced now is applicable for 12 months and it will be revised if necessary after a year.
The rates announced are for charging e-vehicles at charging stations operated by the KSEB, ANERT and their associate players.
Currently, Delhi has the lowest rate of Rs 4 per unit to charge e-vehicles.
The KSEB has been operating charging stations at six districts for a year. The construction of another 56 stations will be completed by this month.
The Kerala government also has plans to set up a network of 56 charging stations exclusively for two-wheelers and autorickshaws. ANERT and KSEB are in the process of implementing another project to establish a station each in every 100 kilometres in the State.
Proposal to slash road tax for EVs
Meanwhile, the government is considering slashing the one-time road tax for EVs to two per cent from the current five per cent. The move is to promote e-vehicles. Currently, the government is offering a subsidy of up to 40 per cent of the total price of electronic two-wheelers.
The subsidy could be availed by choosing a vehicle listed in the www.MyEV.org.in portal. Currently, Kerala is second in the number of electric cars being registered.
Low maintenance and operational costs
A two-wheeler returns an average range of 25 to 40 km for a unit of power. The range, however, differs for each model. Currently, high-speed models and low-speed models are available in the market. High-speed models require a driving licence, registration and payment of taxes.
EVs have lower maintenance charges than those powered by conventional fuel. The cost of an electric scooter could be saved on fuel within a year, users claimed.
