A lot is happening, on small as well as large scales, to promote electric mobility in India. One of the most significant developments was shifting of pure electric vehicles from the 12 per cent GST slab to 5 per cent. This resulted in a reduction in prices for cars such as the Mahindra eVerito and the Hyundai Kona Electric. We’ve also seen city authorities as well as rail corporations joining forces with energy providers to set up charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs).

In Delhi, which has always been under scrutiny for alarming levels of air pollution, the supporting infrastructure for EVs has been expanding slowly but steadily. In order to boost the acceptance of zero-emissions vehicles, DERC (Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission) has come up with a new electricity tariff structure for EV charging. Low-tension EV users, those who charge their vehicles at home, will now pay Rs 4.5/kWh. For high-tension EV users, who utilise public charging stations, will now pay Rs 5/kWh. In both cases, the tariff has come down by Re 1/kWh.

Let’s put both those numbers in perspective to make things clearer. Take the Hyundai Kona Electric as an example. The car has a 39.2kWh battery. If it is completely drained out and one needs to charge it at home, it would cost Rs 176.4 (39.2 multiplied by 4.5). The total cost would be Rs 196 if the car in question is charged at a public facility.

It is encouraging to see state-run as well as private players coming together to make EVs more appealing for consumers. And not just in Delhi. Earlier this month, MahaMetro and EESL inked a deal to install EV charging stations in Nagpur. The latter has also joined forces with Noida Authority to install 100 EV charging points across the populated city.