The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), on June 28, 2024, issued
the revised Guidelines and Standards for Electric Vehicle Charging
Infrastructure. This is the sixth revision of the document after it was first
issued on December 14, 2018, which now has consolidated guidelines for installing and operating the electric vehicle (EV) charging
Infrastructure.
Individuals or entities willing to establish EV charging
stations (also called charge point operators or CPOs), either in privately
owned, semi-retropubic spaces, must adhere to
these guidelines.
India has 15 electric light-duty vehicles (LDV) per public
charging point, a ratio lower than countries like New Zealand (90 LDVs per
charger) and Norway (34 LDVs per charger), according to the International
Energy Agency. However, India’s EV revolution is relatively new and has
already surpassed the global average ratio.
The revisions have been made to adapt to the evolving needs
of the industry and the growing adoption of electric vehicles.
In October 2019, the first revision was made after many
industry experts objected that the 2018 guidelines had made setting up chargers
expensive by dictating charger models, reducing returns on investment. Most
two- and three-wheelers in India use a 15-amp plug, cheaper than the mandated
Combined Charging System (CCS) or CHArChargeMove, or CHAdeMO, chargers, which
had lower demand.
In the new amendment, operators were given more flexibility
in choosing chargers, and BEE was appointed as the Central Nodal Agency (CNA)
to facilitate infrastructure installation. The role of discoms in setting up
home/office charging was established. The new guidelines required one charging
station per 3km x 3km grid in cities and one every 25 km on highways, with fast
chargers for heavy-duty vehicles every 100 km. This was the first document to
acknowledge heavy-duty charging requirements in India.
In 2020, another amendment was added, which mandated that the tariff for electricity supply to EV Public Charging Stations be set by a committee. This, the document noted, should not exceed the average cost of supply or ACoS (average cost incurred by a power distribution company to supply electricity to its consumers) by 15 per percent January 2022, new clauses were incorporated fixing the timelines for discoms to facilitate charging setups in metro, municipal, and rural areas after receiving applications. BEE committed to creating a web portal / mobile application for public chargers. Tariffs for EV charging stations were set as single-part tariffs not exceeding the ACoS until March 31, 2025.
Government and public entities were asked to provide land
for public charging stations on a revenue-sharing basis at the nominal rate of
Rs 1 per kilowatt-hour, payable quarterly, to offset the low demand due to low
EV shares.
Amendments were made to the Model Building Bye-laws, 2016, and, the Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation
Guidelines 2014, to accommodate charging stations in public and private spaces,
supporting the long-term vision of enhancing electric mobility over the next 20
years.
In the second iteration of November 2022, two key changes
were made: Public charging stations were to include prepaid service charges
with time-of-day rates and solar hour discounts. A Central Electricity
Authority (CEA) committee was tasked with recommending the ceiling for service
charges and the “time of the day rate” for service charges, as well as solar
hour discounts to state governments.
In 2023, the cost of supply by discoms to public charging
stations was defined as 0.8 times ACoS during solar hours (9 AM to 4 PM) and
1.2 times ACoS during non-solar hours. Guidelines included a cap on the service
fee for capital expenditure charged by operators for slow and fast chargers.
New timelines, tariffs & improved safety
In 2024, several new clauses were added to the guidelines,
significantly reforming the document and making it more holistic and
comprehensive.
Timelines for metro, municipal, and rural areas were retained
(03, 07, and 15 days respectively). The timeline now extends to thirty days for
regions with hilly terrain. For cases requiring distribution mains extension or
new sub-stations, the maximum period is ninety days.
To streamline the process, discounts are required to create a
customer-friendly online single-window clearance system. CPOs submit
applications and documents online, with discoms reviewing them within three
days, conducting technical feasibility checks and, providing connections as per
prescribed timelines. The portal integrates with state and central nodal
agencies for visibility and monitoring and may charge CPOs a fee for necessary
clearances.
State nodal agencies (SNA) and city authorities must conduct
periodic mapping of the geographic distribution of potential EV charging demand
at least once a year. This mapping helps in identifying the areas with the
highest demand for charging infrastructure and planning accordingly.
Appropriate cabling and electrical works to protect from
lightning and surges must follow the standards in the guidelines. EV charging
stations must have suitable fire protection and be placed in covered spaces to
protect from rain. Compliance with CEA regulations is mandatory, and each
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) model must be type-tested by an
accredited agency or lab, with the certificate valid for three years. EVSE is
a device that provides electric power to recharge vehicle batteries.
Specifications of EV chargers should be displayed and trained personnel should operate EV chargers, especially if there are more than four EVSEs at the station. Parking spaces must be marked and kept free from encroachments. Systems must track charger usage, automate billing, and, facilitate payments. The tariff structure should not exceed the ACoS until March 31, 2026 (instead of 2025 as per the previous revision), the new guidelines mandated.
The cost of supply by discoms has changed to 0.7 times the
ACoS during solar hours and 1.3 times the ACoS during non-solar hours. Separate
metering arrangements must be made for EV charging stations to ensure accurate
billing as per the applicable tariff.
Denser network, improved monitoring
Public charging stations for electric two-, three---, and four-wheelers and quadricycles must comply with Bureau of Indian Standards
(BIS) standards and have at least 7.4 kW capacity (AC or DC). Stations for
long-range EVs and heavy-duty vehicles like trucks and buses must have at least
two EVSE of 250 kW capacity or one charger of 500 kW with dual guns.
CPOs are advised to adopt open communication protocols for
demand response communication between a discdisco public charge points. These
protocols serve as the user interface for monitoring and managing charging
stations remotely.
In urban areas, at least one charging station should be
available within a 1 km x 1 km grid by FY2030. Additionally, charging stations
should be set up every 20 km on both sides of highways, expressways, and, roads.
CPOs must register their data with the CNAs through SNAs and
share quarterly data on energy sales, downtime, and service charges. Detailed
rate information should be prominently displayed at the stations. A committee
under CEA will periodically recommend service charge ceilings and time-of-day
rates, including solar hour discounts.
Individual EV owners can charge their vehicles at home using
existing connections, applying for additional loads if needed. Domestic
consumption tariffs will apply. Group housing societies and other
entities with common parking spaces must allocate at least 10 percent of their
parking capacity for community EV chargers, in consultation with discoms.
Workplace and e-bus depot charging stations should follow
similar guidelines for installation and tariff application, ensuring proper
charging infrastructure and power load management.
BEE is the Central Nodal Agency. Each state government must
nominate a nodal agency, typically the state discom, for setting up EV charging
infrastructure. A steering committee under the Union Ministry of Power will
review the progress quarterly, comprising members from BEE, CEA, SNAs, and state
government officials. It must be noted that based on the feedback received from
various stakeholders including Oil Marketing Companies and other public and
private charge point operators, these guidelines may be revised again. BEE has
invited comments on the draft by 27th July 2024 for consideration.