Last Updated: February 2020 by Narasimhan Santhanam
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Kerala has come up with an e-mobility (EV) policy that promotes electric buses and e-autorickshaws. The aim is to introduce public transport that reduces air pollution. It has announced its mission of full electrification of all types of motor vehicles by 2030.
EV Targets
- 2022: 1 million EVs on the road
- 2020: Pilot Fleet of 200,000 two- wheelers, 50,000 three wheelers, 1000 goods carriers, 3000 buses and 100 ferry boats
Investment targets
- Component Manufacturing : Attract Investments and create employment opportunities around power electronics, Battery Pack Assembly, BMS, Electric Motors,Accessories & skilled area like IT and R&D etc
- EV manufacture in the long term: Create an enabling ecosystem of skilled manpower, infrastructure, R&D centers,, favourable regulations and initial volumes through government programs
- Centers of Excellence in the EV Value chain: build world class training/skilling centers for EV professionals with niche skills for the global EV Industry
Key policy drivers
- Managing the Electricity Grid
KSEB is looking at EV population as an option for generating demand during the off peak hours. It would mean cheap electricity for EVs and load balancing for the grid.
- Upgrading the Bus Transport Fleets
KSRTC is targeted 6000+ EV by 2025 through funding from GoI
- Industrial Growth
Kerala needs to focus on growing its internal manufacturing ecosystem and turn away from being an export dependent, consumption-driven economy
- Transition Strategy
Creation of common charging infrastructure, incentivising the transition, standardising the specification, creating enabling policies and regulation, promoting localisation coupled with training and skill development.
- Technical Advisory Committee
A technical advisory Committee Mobility state Level Task Force(e-MobSLTF) has been setup by the state Government to initiate, develop &sustain e-mobility in the state
Categories of Vehicles
Light EV
EV with battery pack of below 120V is considered as Light EV, and in India they include the two wheelers, three wheelers and some car models also
- Two Wheelers
- E-scooters with two swappable batteries
- Ebikes to leverage the tourism potential of the state in the coastal and hilly destination
- Three wheelers
The Cost of an e-auto without battery can be in the range of Rs 1.4 to 1.7 Lakhs, with sufficient assured numbers to enable the auto manufacturers to go for adequate supply tie ups. It would be necessary to provide promotional incentives wherever possible in the form of concessions in road tax, toll fee, parking fee etc.
- Four Wheelers
Electric cars can be introduced for government use and as modern, eco-friendly taxi cars. Technologically the optimal solution would be to have electric cars with built in batteries with hireable ‘Range extension batteries’ of different capacities for different models of EV.
- Built in batteries could be charged at home over night and could run for about 80-100 km distance daily, which would be the normal demand of the car owners, whereas the range extension batteries could be hired for longer drives
- There could also be a number of DC fast chargingstations as well as swapping stations for range extension batteries established in strategic locations in the cities and along the national highways and state highways
Heavy EV / Electric Buses
EV with a battery pack of more than 500voltsis considered as heavy EV
Buses primarly for public transport shall be of 9m and 12 m length with an average driving range of 50 km to 100 km. The Bureau of Indian standards is developing standards for the fllowing type of Bus Battery Charging otions, as India specific solutions.
- Fixed Battery System:
Buses are expected to charge at the bus depots using 3 phase AC connections dedicatedly connected to each parked bus. In addition, small top up charging done en-route.
- Replaceable Battery System:
Battery swapping at Bus depots/terminals to cater to trip lengths of up to 35km. A battery pack that provides 50km range could be adopted for use across the state.
- Automated Bus Charging Systems:
The development of Pantograph charger at the Bus Terminal every time the bus returns to the terminal. The battery size can be configured similar to option 2 or 5 above, depending on system configuration.
EV Charging Infrastructure
Fast Charging & swapping stations will be established all over cities and on highways to create the infrastructure for EVs. The Central Electricity Authority has prepared an approach paper for standardizing the grid access for the EV Charging Infrastructure. These will be adopted as standards by the CERC. These stations could be set up by Discoms or companies in partnership with Discoms. Besides, DISCOM will setup AC Charging stations on street and parking lots, including locations where vehicles are parked over night. These will be standard 15A outlets for slow charging of vehicles. They wouldhave payment mechanism, time of day metering and facility where the user can decide to charge vehicles overnight, but only in off peak hours. Single vehicle charger of this kind should cost no more than Rs 5000.
Strategic Initiatives
- Addressing the viability gap for buses and govt fleet
- Creting adequate charging Infrastructure that are interoperable with several models of EVs
- Promotion of local manufacturing
- Awareness creation and promotion of shared mobility
- Human capacity building and re skilling
Pilot Projects and Promotion
- Creation of E mobility Zones
- Support schemes for early adoption
- Human capacity Building
Read EV Next posts on electric vehicle policies for these states: Andhra Pradesh|Delhi|Karnataka|Tamil Nadu|Maharashtra|Telangana|Uttar Pradesh|Uttrakhand|
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See also the blog posts:
- Highlights of Karnataka EV Policy (2017-2018) – Incentives, Subsidies, Exemptions of Electric Vehicle Policy
- Highlights of Maharashtra EV Policy (2018) – Incentives, Subsidies, Exemptions of Electric Vehicle Policy
- Highlights of Uttar Pradesh EV Policy 2018 – Incentives, Subsidies, Exemptions of UP Electric Vehicle Policy
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