Chandigarh to issue tender for 100 EV charging stations

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In a push to launch its electric vehicle (EV) policy, the Chandigarh administration is poised to float a global tender in three to four days to invite eligible companies to bid for installing 100 charging stations across the city, according to recent media reports. The UT will select the company in a month.

“The tender document has been prepared in a manner that interested companies can quote their rates. The lowest price cited will be given preference to allot the work that is to be completed in two years. We are hoping for a good competition to provide this facility at cheap rates,” sources in the UT told a national daily.

Around 17 charging stations are already in place at different locations. They will be commissioned soon after the selection of the eligible company. These stations will be given to the company in order to be operationalised.

The administration has approved and given no objection certificates (NOC) to install 37 charging stations. Their locations have been identified in a manner so that people can easily access them. Sources said charging infrastructure experience in other cities indicates that its availability is a key driver in electric vehicle adoption.

In February this year, Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit approved the “Draft Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2022” for the union territory, aiming to turn the latter into a ‘Model EV City’ through a significant increase in EV penetration within five years.

In a nutshell, the UT looks to incentivise the adoption of all electric vehicle categories, such as e-bicycles, electric two-wheelers, e-autos, e-goods carriers, e-carts and electric four-wheelers, in both personal and commercial categories. The administration says that the policy is over and above the FAME-II scheme of the Central Government.

To motivate the city’s residents to adopt e-vehicles, the administration in its policy has waived off the registration fee for EVs and also granted exemption from road tax till 2024. Additionally a 100% waiver on EV parking charges at all Chandigarh Municipal Corporation-run parking lots for the next five years is proposed in the policy.