In the last decade alone, several measures have been employed by the Indian government to make electric vehicles (EVs) as mainstream as possible.
To motivate more people to switch to EVs, the government-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is embarking on a revolutionary path. It intends to install a network of solar-based electric vehicle chargers (SEVCs) along the Delhi-Chandigarh highway.
With the completion of this project, the highway will become the first fully electrified highway connecting two cities in India.
“The establishment of EV chargers at regular intervals over the entire 250 km stretch between Delhi and Chandigarh would allay range-anxiety among the electric vehicle users and bolster their confidence for inter-city travel,” said BHEL in a statement.
Covered under the FAME scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of {Hybrid} and Electric Vehicles in India) of the Department of Heavy Industry (DM), each of these SEVC stations will have solar power plants installed on rooftops.
As planned by the concerned authorities, these plants will continuously supply green and clean energy which is compatible with both fast and slow chargers in charging stations.
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It is reported that India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer will be designing a central monitoring system to support the objective of this ambitious project.
The process will include designing, engineering, manufacturing, supplying and installing the EV charging stations.
However, it has not been confirmed that if these stations would have fully automated services or not. Additionally, the details about these services being free for public use is yet to be clarified.
With a burgeoning population that seems to only be increasing, such a move will not only have a significant impact on the environment, but also help ordinary people from despairing about the rising fuel prices.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)