The Ministry of Power has released the guidelines for installing and operating electric vehicle chargers.

According to the guidelines, any entity can establish a charging infrastructure, and setting up and operating EV charging stations is a de-licensed activity.

The “Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, 2024,” will supersede all the previous versions issued by the ministry.

Charge Point Operators (CPOs) can apply for an electricity connection for their EV charging stations.

In case of any delays in providing the necessary connections, the distribution licensee will be liable to pay a penalty determined by the regulatory commission.

The owner of a charging station can use newer technologies for charging EVs, such as induction charging and pantograph, as long as they comply with the safety and connectivity requirements set by the Central Electricity Authority and Bureau of Indian Standards. Charging stations can also incorporate solar energy into their operations.

Provision for PCS

The Public Charging Stations (PCS) may not be used much because of the high land cost and uncertain future revenue. To encourage more installations, the ministry will provide land for the PCS at a reduced rate to government and public entities.

This will work on a revenue-sharing model. The agency owning the land will receive ₹1/kWh (~$0.012 )of electricity used for charging at the station, to be paid quarterly.

For private entities, the same model can be adopted on a bidding basis with a floor price of ₹1/kWh.

The total fee charged by CPOs from customers  comprises the following components:

• Electricity supply tariff, which will be considered as pass-through per kWh
• Service charge/kWh.
• The land cost will be passed through per the registered land deed for every kWh.
• GST as applicable.

PCS will offer (prepaid/postpaid) payment options, potentially with time-based rates and discounts during solar hours.

The owner of a PCS may also opt to obtain electricity through open access within 15 days of submitting a complete application. This option requires the payment of a surcharge, which is capped at 20% of the tariff applicable to the consumer category seeking open access, per the Tariff Policy 2016, along with transmission and wheeling charges.

No additional fees will be imposed beyond these charges.

Tariffs for Supply of Electricity

The tariff for electricity supply to EV charging stations will not exceed the average cost of supply. The distribution licensee will charge 0.7 times the average cost of supply during solar hours and 1.3 times during non-solar hours.

Each EV station must have a separate metering arrangement to record and apply consumption accurately. Distribution licensees can also provide sub-metering behind the meter of an existing HT connection.

The ceiling limit for service charges (excluding GST & land cost) for AC (slow) during solar hours is ₹3 (~$0.036) per unit, and during non-solar hours, ₹4 (~$0.048) per unit. For DC (fast), during solar hours, ₹11 (~$0.13) per unit and ₹13 (~$0.16) during non-solar hours.

These will be applicable until March 31, 2028, for conductive AC/DC charging at PCS and Community EV charging stations set up on either public or private land.

Location of charging stations

The guidelines say at least one charging station must be located within a 1 km x 1 km grid in urban areas by 2030, as notified by the respective state governments.

For highways, charging stations will be located every 20 km on both sides of highways, expressways, and major roads. For long-range and heavy-duty EVs, fast charging will be located every 100 km on each side of the designated expressways, highways, and major roads.

EV charging stations can also be installed in group housing societies, including residential societies, shopping malls, office complexes, restaurants and hotels, educational institutions, and hospitals.

Building or office owners, personal residence owners, resident welfare associations, and housing societies can request a separate metered connection from the distribution licensee with a dedicated EV charging tariff.

E-bus depots must install charging station equipment with a minimum capacity of 240 kW. Depots with e-buses that have liquid-cooled batteries, commonly found in long-range models, can install optional liquid-cooled cables to enable high-speed charging.

Centralized database of PCS

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), in collaboration with state nodal agencies (SNAs), will maintain a nationwide database of public charging stations. It will also provide open application programming interfaces (APIs) to third-party developers to integrate value-added services into the national database.

Open APIs will be restricted to non-confidential information.

The BEE will serve as the Central Nodal Authority and oversee the implementation of these guidelines. All relevant stakeholders must collaborate and support the BEE, including electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), CEA, and state government agencies. Each state will designate an SNA to coordinate with DISCOMs to facilitate electricity connections.

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission, in August 2024, released guidelines for installing EV charging points in buildings. The rules included tariffs for EV charging and installing the chargers in designated and non-designated areas.

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