NITI Aayog has released a proposal to develop electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Delhi drafted by AC2SG, a Finland-based Smart Grid Software solutions provider, in collaboration with NITI Aayog.

The proposal calls for developing a quick pilot project that would provide a blueprint for the larger planned rollout of EV infrastructure.

More specifically, the proposal for the quick pilot project could be used to provide a structure for a broader EV infrastructure rollout in the Gurgaon-IGI-South Delhi-Noida corridor. This planning is expected to make the actual rollout faster and easier while reducing the cost of deployment.

Planning will be based on a five-step process that includes: project kickoff, the formation of a “long list” of installation locations, streamlining and timing, documentation, and wrap-up. The pilot project proposal includes 55 locations with 135 charging stations, of which 46 would be quick charging DC stations and 89 would be slower charging AC stations.

Successful project deployment will require co-operation between state governments, selected government authorities, and companies as well as some private enterprises. The plan includes a deployment timeline with the first installations scheduled for November 2017.

The further expansion of this program in Delhi NCR and other cities in India is something that will be considered based on the experience of implementing the quick pilot, according to the government release.

The move comes at a time when Delhi is taking leadership role in India’s EV plans amid severe air pollution problems. The pilot project will also provide experience and insight to stakeholders such as the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Tata Power, Fortum & NBCC, and ABB India.

Of these companies, NTPC is already slated to develop 20 EV charging stations at various locations in the national capital region, while Fortum, a renewable energy project developer, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NBCC, a Government of India Navratna Enterprise, to develop EV charging infrastructure across India.

Recently, Tata Motors won a separate bid to supply 10,000 EVs to Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).  Of those vehicles, 1,000 EVs will be procured for utilization in the New Delhi and national capital region, with service and maintenance facilities also slated to be constructed in the national capital region.

The Government of India has set a goal for the sale of 6-7 million new hybrid and electric vehicles by 2020 under the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP). Such a pilot project will enable the faster the implementation of NEMMP.

Recently, Mercom reported that the Government of India is planning to provide up to ₹1.05 billion (~$16.2 million) in grant funding to Smart Cities for the purchase of EVs to be used for mass transportation under a pilot project run under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) program.

Image credit: ABB