Initiative to Install 150 kerbside EV chargers
14th October, 2022
DDC has set the ball rolling on a pilot project for deployment of 150 kerbside EV chargers across 60 PWD roadside stretches, with provision of vehicle parking. The pilot programme, being designed by the Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) of Delhi with the collaboration of DISCOMS and PWD aims to understand the feasibility of the innovative concept of ‘kerbside charging’. It will eventually lead to Delhi Government’s target of installing more than 5000 kerbside EV chargers in the next 3 years across all major roads of Delhi.
The plan to pilot 150 kerbside EV chargers, spread equitably across all the three DISCOMs in Delhi, was finalised in a review meeting chaired on October 14 2022 by Sh. Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson (DDC) and Chairperson of Delhi Government's Charging Infrastructure Working Group. The meeting was attended by officials from the Transport Department, Public Works Department (PWD), and DISCOMs like BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), and TATA Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL).
The sites for deployment of the 150 kerbside EV chargers have been identified through joint visits done by the DISCOM and PWD and mapped on a comprehensive 10-point checklist developed by the DDC, with all due diligence to ensure that all identified sites can run smoothly, without much interference from the existing traffic. Some of the major stretches identified by the DISCOMs for the pilot installations are:
- Old Delhi - Gurugram Road
- Authority Road, near Hotel Hayat in front of Janakpuri club
- Bijwasan Road, Near IOCL pump
- Major Somnath Marg
- Shashi Garden, Near Sanjay Lake
- E-block, Nirman Vihar
- Near East End Apartment, Mayur Vihar Phase-1
- Ghazipur-Anand Vihar
- Shrestha Vihar-Jagriti Enclave
- Haiderpur metro station to Madhban chowk underpass
- Rohini sector3 M2K to Vishram Chowk
- Inner Ring Road from Jahangirpuri towards Azadpur
- Alipur Road, Near Shraddhanand College
- Link Road, Azadpur to Majhlis Park metro
In a high-level meeting held earlier on 19th September 2022 and chaired by Vice Chairperson (DDC), the participants had discussed and unanimously decided to develop a roll-out plan for kerbside charging to leverage lamp posts and substation spaces in Delhi which have or are close to sites of on-street vehicle parking.
The deployment of kerbside EV charging has been a unique initiative by the Delhi Government. Delhi’s EV policy 2020 has been committed to ensuring faster adoption of electric vehicles for 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler vehicle segments. With 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers accounting for nearly 67% of the total vehicles registered in Delhi, the plan to electrify Delhi’s transport was envisaged to ensure it does not adversely impact the segment distribution. Hence, the provision of adequate charging infrastructure for these segments has been a key priority of the Delhi Government.
Kerbside charging is an emerging concept globally wherein EVs can be charged while being parked on roadside kerbs itself using either street light lamp posts or through dedicated charging posts. Kerbside charging, using the existing civil and electrical infrastructure, will help these vehicles get charged anytime. In the pilot phase, the EV chargers to be deployed will have a power output of 3.3KW which may be used by 2W, 3W Goods vehicles and Electric Autos to get a top-up during the day or fully charge their vehicles overnight.
The Delhi Government’s 3-year action plan for expanding the charging and swapping infrastructure in Delhi has set a target of 18,000 charging points by 2025. A key strategy to achieve this target is to deploy more than 5000 kerbside EV chargers which leverage the existing civic and electrical infrastructure in Delhi for the installation of charging points.