If you live in Delhi and have been contemplating purchasing an electric vehicle (EV), here’s good news: the Delhi government is offering a chunky incentive on the purchase of private EV chargers, which will bring prices of such chargers down by a significant margin. As part of its initiative to drive electric mobility in the region, the Delhi government is extending a subsidy of Rs 6,000 to the first 30,000 applicants seeking to install a private charging station for light EVs, slashing the cost of a charger to just around Rs 2,500.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot made the announcement while launching the single window facility that consumers can avail by either going to the respective discom portals or by calling the helpline numbers for installation of private charging stations.

The space requirement for the installation of an EV charger is minimal, said Gahlot during the conference. Only one square foot is required for the LEV AC charger, and two square feet is needed for the AC 001 charger; the DC-001 charger can be installed on the ground having two square metre area and two metres height. Both the LEV AC and AC 001 chargers can be wall-mounted.

The Delhi government will be the first to roll out LEV AC chargers conforming to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 2021 Charging Standards within two months of its official notification, said a Transport department statement.

Both these chargers are used to charge primarily two- and three-wheelers. The DC 001 charging standard is used for electric cars used primarily by fleet operators.

The applicant can visit the portal and view EV chargers that have been empanelled by the government, compare the price of these chargers and order them online or by making a phone call.

The incentives provided by Delhi government will reduce the cost of chargers by up to 70 percent, Gahlot said in a presser.

The installation and operationalisation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers would be completed within seven working days of submitting the application, he assured. Applicants can choose to opt for a new electrical connection (including pre-paid meter) to avail reduced EV tariff or can continue with the existing connection.

“Under the able leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi government is driving Delhi’s journey to being the EV capital of India. Increasing accessibility to charging infrastructure will do away with any doubts and uncertainties one might have before buying an EV,” he stated.

The single window facility for installation of private chargers in malls, offices, residential societies, colleges is happening for the first time in India, claimed Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) vice chairman Jasmine Shah.

The tariff rate fixed by the government for the electricity consumed through these EV charging points is Rs 4.5 per unit.

“Such a facilitative process for installing EV chargers has been developed for the first time in India and with their widespread installation, Delhi will become the best city in the world in terms of accessibility to EV charging points,” Gahlot asserted.

“One can now install private EV chargers at a connection cost of just Rs 2,500. We have created an enabling environment, which will in the coming times ensure that more and more electric vehicles will run on the roads of Delhi,” the minister said.