Powering India’s EV Revolution: Bengaluru Leads the Charge
Bengaluru: With the number of electric vehicles (EVs) increasing sharply, Karnataka has the most — 5,723 — EV charging stations in the country.
“We’ve pipped Maharashtra, which held the top position all these days. At present, Karnataka has more than 5,500 EV charging stations. Efforts are on to set up more charging stations across Bescom limits,”
senior official of the public utility said.
Sources in the energy department revealed that Reliance is also set to install 225 charging stations in BBMP limits, 150 in the rest of the Bengaluru Urban district and 75 in Bengaluru Rural.
The company is said to have conducted a detailed survey in these areas. Power consumption by EVs is also on the rise. While EVs account for 6-7% of the total energy consumption in Karnataka, Bengaluru alone accounts for over 5%.
Even though the consumption pattern initially rose month on month by more than 4,000 kWh, the increase has now stabilized at 2,000-3,000 kWh, according to senior energy department officials.
According to Bescom data, EV chargers set up and approved by the company have consumed 14.8 lakh kWh of power over the past two years. The gradual increase in the consumption of energy by EVs was driven by the availability of charging points, according to Bescom engineers.
“Until Sept 2023, Karnataka had only 584 charging stations – 265 set up by Escoms, 19 by other govt agencies and 300 by private companies,”
explained a senior Bescom engineer.
The rise in energy consumption by EVs also helped Bescom mop up a revenue of Rs 58.5 lakh between April 2023 and Jan 2024. Registration of EVs has shot up considerably in Bengaluru, barring a marginal dip towards the end of 2023, as per the transport department.
Rising awareness among the public, multiple options in varieties and models, and affordable costs have prompted many people to opt for EVs, according to experts. Interestingly, Bengaluru has been fuelling the demand for electric cars.
Sources in the energy department revealed that the city has been topping the national list for the highest registration of private cars.
“But when it comes to two-wheelers, three-wheelers and public taxis, we’ve yet to pick up and are gradually making strides. The state govt is also keen on introducing e-buses to its fleet of both BMTC and KSRTC,”
the official revealed.
Karnataka’s EV policy, apart from providing infrastructure, is drawing huge investments into the state, according to Ramesh Shivanna, a member of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry and founder-member of Karnataka Renewable Energy Systems Manufacturers Association.
“Going by the recent Economic Survey, India is poised to become a global EV-manufacturing hub and Bengaluru is likely to grab a major share in it. Increasing energy consumption by EVs would eventually help the state and country achieve the renewable energy goals,”
he said.
Content Credit: Times of India
