The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) for the supply of 200 electric vehicles (EVs) and 1,000 special purpose EVs, along with setting up charging stations for commercial operation in the state.

The last date to submit the bids is November 8, 2021, and the opening of bids will take place on November 9.

Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹500,000 (~$6,654) as an earnest money deposit.

Part-I is for the supply of 200 brand new electric cars for the transportation of KSEB officials. The electric car should have both AC and heating facilities with advanced safety features. After completing all the registration formalities, the electric cars must be delivered to the location prescribed by KSEB within 45 days from the date of supply order. In the first phase, 100 electric cars will be required.

Part-II includes 1,000 special-purpose EVs. KSEB is using jeeps in the field offices for transportation of men and materials to the sites. These will be replaced with EVs.

The supply of EVs should be completed within three years from the date of the agreement.

To participate in the bidding process, the bidder should have designed, manufactured, type-tested, supplied, and commissioned as engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor charging stations of a cumulative capacity of 200 kW. Out of the total capacity, at least one EV charger should be 50 kW or higher in the last three years before the bid submission deadline.

Also, at least one charger of capacity not less than 15 kW should have been in service for six months preceding the bid submission deadline.

For the last three years, the bidder should have an average annual turnover of ₹210 million (~$2.79 million). The net worth of the bidder should be at least  ₹30 million (~$399,279). The bidder will also have to submit documents showing the number of EVs sold per year for the last three financial years.

In case of delay in the supply of EVs, the successful bidder will have to pay 1% of the total contract value as liquidated damages, subject to a maximum of 10% of the contract value.

In January this year, Kerala’s Finance Minister Thomas Isaac announced a 50% reduction in motor vehicle tax for electric, fuel cell, and complete hybrid battery EVs for five years in the state’s budget for 2021-2022. About 2,000 EVs have been registered in the state. The subsidy will encourage the adoption of more such vehicles.

Earlier, KSEB had disclosed the list of empaneled bidders that intend to set up EV charging stations for commercial operations at specified locations in the state.

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