The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has disclosed the list of empaneled bidders that intend to set up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for commercial operations at specified locations in the state.

Last year, KSEB had invited bids from interested parties to set up EV charging stations across the state.

Joseph Kunjummen, the head of the renewable energy department of KSEB, said in an interview, “The price bids from these empaneled bidders have been called for 56 EV charging stations under the second phase.” He said that the government has laid out three phases for the installation of EV charging stations across the state. Under phase I, six EV charging stations are being deployed.” Over 300 EV charging stations under phase III are in the pipeline, he added.

He further informed that a pilot project is already in operation at the government secretariat in the state’s capital Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala was one of the first states to start focusing on the promotion of electric mobility.

In 2018, the state government had then chalked out a roadmap for an Electric Vehicle Policy, which aimed to reduce the number of vehicles with the introduction of electric buses and e-autorickshaws.

Kerala’s budget for the financial year 2019-2020 also puts the impetus on the development of the EV sector in the state.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Power recently issued an amendment to its guidelines and standards for the charging infrastructure of electric vehicles. The amendment has now specified that the tariff for the supply of electricity to the EV public charging stations should not be more than 15% of the average cost of supply of power. This ceiling was not given in the earlier guidelines.