In a bid to encourage the adoption of intelligent mobility among residents, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission has set the tariff for electric vehicle (EV) charging in Chandigarh.

The commission has fixed the tariff for supply of electricity through charging stations at ₹4 ($0.06)/kWh and ₹100 ($1.44) as a fixed monthly charge on electricity bill for the stations.

The Electricity Wing of Engineering Department, Chandigarh (the petitioner) had recommended a tariff between ₹5 to ₹5.60 ($0.072-$0.081) based on the supply category slab. However, it seems that the commission chose to go with a lower tariff hoping it will attract more buyers to switch to EVs in the union territory.

The commission noted in the tariff order that it believes the demand for charging infrastructure for EVs is set to increase in the future because of increased commercialization. Also, the commission stated that to encourage the adoption of EVs in the region; a sustainable framework has to be developed and having a designated electricity tariff is the first step towards achieving it.

Therefore, the commission has now introduced a new category of consumers in the tariff order – “EV charging stations for consumers setting up infrastructure for charging of electric vehicles” and has set tariffs as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power.

In October 2018, Mercom reported that EV adoption under the government’s FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) program was lagging in most states. The sector has been grappling with issues such as the high price of lithium-ion batteries, lack of innovation, funding crunch, and scarce testing facilities.

The Union Cabinet in March 2019, approved the proposal for the implementation of the second phase of the FAME India program, which is aimed towards the promotion of electric mobility in the country. The program has a total budget of ₹100 billion ($1.41 billion).

Recently, Mercom reported on the news of BHEL installing the first solar-based EV charger along the Delhi-Chandigarh highway.