No More Range-Anxiety: BHEL To Set Up Charging Stations On Entire 250-Km Stretch Of Delhi-Chandigarh Highway

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on Thursday (16 January) announced that it will be setting up a network of solar-based electric vehicle chargers (SEVC) on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway, Business Standard has reported.

In order to reduce vehicular pollution and cut dependence on oil imports, India is pushing for greater use of electric vehicles. Hence, proper infrastructure for charging the batteries in such vehicles is needed to fulfill that objective.

"The establishment of EV chargers at regular intervals over the entire 250 km stretch between Delhi and Chandigarh would allay range-anxiety among the electric vehicle users and bolster their confidence for inter-city travel," said company’s statement

Furthermore, BHEL said that it would manufacture, design, engineer, supply and install the EV charging stations.

Each SEVC charging station would be equipped with a rooftop solar power plant to supply green energy to fast and slow chargers, which are planned to be installed at the location.

However, the statement has no information regarding who will operate the charging stations and whether the vehicle owners will pay any charges for using the facility.

"The project is covered under the FAME scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India) of the Department of Heavy Industry (DM), Government of India," added the statement.