Atal Indore City Transport Service (AICTSL), a special purpose vehicle operating the city’s public transport, has invited bids to select an agency for establishing, operating, and maintaining (O&M) 47 solar integrated electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the city.

The EV charging stations are to be set up within six months of signing the contract. They would be established on a design, build, finance, operate, and transfer mode for 12 years.

The charging stations are to be developed under two categories. Category A includes ten charging stations for electric four-wheelers, and category B includes 37 charging stations for electric two and three-wheelers.

The last date for submission of the bids is October 20, 2022. Bids will be opened the next day.

Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹423,000 (~$5,251).

Bidders must pay construction and O&M performance security of ₹20,000 (~$247.85) for each charging station under category B and ₹40,000 (~$495.8) for every charging station under Category A.

AICTSL has recommended sites where the charging stations are to be set up.

Bidders should have designed, procured, and installed a minimum of 30 EV charging stations for any state or public sector undertaking or central and other government bodies on the public-private partnership model. These stations must be operational at the time of issuing the tender.

Bidders must also have installed 1 MW rooftop or ground-mounted solar on CAPEX (capital expenditure) mode in any state, PSU, or government bodies.

Bidders should have fully certified EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) of at least one DC fast charger (60 kW or 90 kW or combo) and at least one AC charger (AC001 or AC type 2 7.5kW/ 22kW). The chargers installed across all sites must be ARAI certified.

The average turnover of the bidders must be ₹150 million (~$1.85 million) in the last three financial years. Their worth must be ₹15 million (~$185,904) as on March 31, 2022.

The selected agency must pay the quarterly license fees per charging station to AICTSL. The first payment would be 40% of the yearly quoted amount to be paid after the construction is completed. The second would be 30% of the yearly quoted amount five months after the first payment of the year, and the remaining 30% must be paid four months after the second payment.

In August, Satna Municipal Corporation in Madhya Pradesh (MP) invited bids to set up ten charging stations for EVs at various locations in the city.

Early this year, the Ministry of Power issued the revised ‘Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EVs) Guidelines’ to accelerate the e-mobility transition in the country.