Electric vehicle charging stations: An added benefit or a necessity?

With an increased demand for electric vehicles ( EV s ) , the demand for charging stations in housing societies has also increased.  Has this made EV charging stations a necessity in housing societies?  Let’s find out

Electric vehicles ( EV s ) promise several things from sustainable commute and lesser sound pollution, to optimum use of solar energy.  Hence, it is not surprising that many are looking forward to owning an EV.  As per data available on the government’s Vahan website, EV sales grew by 82 percent in March 2023 with 1,39,789 units sold in comparison to 77,128 EVs sold in March 2022.  Despite this growth, many are shying away from buying an EV given that the infrastructural limitations play a spoilsport.

Thus, the first step towards making EVs accessible to everyone is by installing charging stations in public places, on highways, and in housing society complexes as well.

 “ A few years back, EV adoption was extremely limited and so resident welfare associations did not feel it necessary to make special provisions,” .  However, “ There has been a notable increase in demand for EV charging stations in housing society complexes and new buildings in India.  Property developers and residential associations are also recognising the need to provide charging infrastructure.  This shift is fuelled by both, government initiatives promoting sustainable transportation and its rising popularity.  Resultantly, there is a growing emphasis on incorporating EV charging facilities in the planning and construction phases of society complexes and new buildings to cater to the evolving needs of environmentally conscious residents,” .

Statistics indicate that EV charging stations in housing complexes are important.  “More than 70 percent of the monthly battery charging happens in the residential parking lot, the balance gets done at office premises or a public charging stations ”.

How can these services be provided? 

Housing societies and developers can connect with professional companies to provide them with their specific and customised requirements.  This will ensure adherence to all the safety guidelines; some of the service providers also give maintenance services as part of their package.

"To begin with, the society committee or RWA must provide approval and oversee the  process.  Once approved, many companies offer the installation and operation of EV charging stations for residential projects.  An electrical contractor should be hired to undertake the actual electrical work and modifications required to install the EV charging equipment, "

Costing  

" For a standard seven-10 kw AC slow charger, the cost ranges from Rs.60,000 to 1,50,000.  Fast DC charges ( 15-25 kw) can cost anywhere between Rs.2,00,000 and Rs.5,00,000," .  With the rising demand, shared charging spaces can be a good solution to several problems related to Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. ( EVCI ).

But to save costs, one can think of installing shared charging spaces.  “During the introductory wave of EV adoption, the market was more skewed towards owning individual charging systems mounted against their respective parking slot.  However, with EV adoption now progressing from the embryonic stage to the growth stage in India, there is a great deal of usage patterns, electrical and fire constrains, resource availability, space crunch and government regulations that need to be studied before drafting the plans for EVCI deployment in a parking lot, whether residential or otherwise.  Given the central, state as well as local level guidelines in place for EVCI installation, the idea of owning an individual charging system per EV in a metropolitan city is, in essence, the most common fallacy of current times with the installation of shared EVCI being the only solution to this problem statement.  The biggest advantage of installing shared charging solutions as common amenities is maximum conformity to safety and quality standards issued by these guidelines to avoid any potential casualties,” .