- The state plans to launch a pilot fleet of two lakh two-wheelers, 50,000 three-wheelers, 1,000 good carriers, 3,000 buses and 100 ferry boats by 2022.
- Kerala Automobiles Ltd (KAL) signs MoU with Switzerland-based HESS AG to manufacture electric buses in the state.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday inaugurated Kerala’s first electric vehicle charging station through a video conference while attending the Evolve 2019, a conference to promote e-mobility.
This EV charging station, opened at an Indian Oil fuel outlet at Edapally near Kochi, is the second such station to be set up in south India after Hyderabad.
Power Grid Corporation of India provided the basic facilities for the initiative.
According to Indian Oil officials, all vehicles will be charged free of cost for the first three months (till September 30).
Indian Oil, in association with Power Grid Corporation of India, is also planning to set up EV charging stations across Kerala in the coming years.
According to reports, 35 charging stations are proposed to be commissioned in Kerala by 2020.
Kerala’s EV Mission
Inaugurating the Evolve conference, Pinarayi said that the state is targeting to launch 10 lakh electric vehicles within 2022.
The plan includes a pilot fleet of two lakh two-wheelers, 50,000 three-wheelers, 1,000 good carriers, 3,000 buses and 100 ferry boats that run on electric power by 2022.
Meanwhile, state-run Kerala Automobiles Ltd (KAL) has signed an MoU with Switzerland-based HESS AG to manufacture electric buses in the state.
This is believed to be the first European investment in e-bus manufacturing in India, and Pinarayi said that this investment would help attract more ancillary industries to Kochi.
KAL has also started making e-autorickshaws which are certified by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). It will produce 8,000 e-autos a year.
KAL has become the first PSU in India to manufacture electric autorickshaws, Pinarayi noted.
100 per cent electric public transport
KSRTC has already invited bids for 1,500 e-buses on wet lease this year. Within one year, Thiruvananthapuram city will become 100 per cent e-mobile as far as public transport is concerned, Pinarayi said.
As per news reports, the state government also signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for development of charging infrastructure with public sector companies NTPC, Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), Sun Mobility, etc. and for hydrogen fuel cell pilot with Boston-based Spotimyenergy.
Apart from the Secretariat, Technopark and Infopark, the state government plans to declare E-mobility zones in tourist locales such as Kovalam, Munnar and Bekal.
