Electric Vehicle Charging and Charging Infrastructure

It is about time that we start moving towards environmentally friendly technology. Having an EV charging network in each country will be key to successfully motivate citizens to buy an electric car. The number of charging stations available, location of the stations, fast charging capabilities, etc. are all variables that will need to be improved in each region to adapt to this new reality. 

One of the most primitive defining points for EV is the power (in kW) they can produce which determines the speed they're capable of charging. While connector types are a key issue, most EVs are equipped with two or more cables that allow the usage of chargers with different connector outlets.

Here are different types of chargers available in the market - 

Slow Charging

It constitutes the bulk of home charging which takes anything from 6-12 hours for a full charge (2-4 hours for a hybrid). The make/model of the car and place where it is driven (US/Europe have different voltages) can also impact charging speeds.

Fast Charging 

It's used for a majority of street public charging units, such as those installed by cities, and can take between 1-3 hours at a power of 7-22 kW.

Rapid Charging

You will find these in either of two types, i.e. AC or DC [Alternating or Direct Current]. Current Rapid AC chargers are rated at 43 kW, while most Rapid DC units are a minimum of 50 kW. Both will charge the   EVs to 80 percent in around 30-60 minutes (depending on battery capacity). One of the best examples of Rapid DC is the Tesla Superchargers which charges at around 120 kW.

Major Government Initiatives in India

India needs about 400,000 charging stations to fulfill the needs for two million Electric Vehicles (EV) that would potentially ply on its roads by 2026, said a report on Saturday.

The Grant Thornton Bharat-Ficci report said for India to succeed in its vision of 100 per cent EVs by 2030, factors such as increasing government support, decreasing cost of technology, and distressing pollution levels, would be key to accelerate this transition.

As per EV industry body - Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles - there are 1,800 charging stations in India as of March 2021 for roughly 16,200 electric cars, including the fleet segment.

The number of EVs on the road have also been steadily increasing, and in 2019-20, the number of EVs on the road stood at 155,400 growing at around 20 percent year-on-year. Government policies like the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) which provide subsidies for EV production and charging infrastructure  are a welcome fillip. Phase II of the scheme has an outlay of INR 10,000 crore ending this year for creating more demand for EVs. The 2019-20 budget announcement for tax subsidies for loans on EVs again focuses on proliferating new types of automobiles. Broadly, there's a renewed interest by the  general public in owning an EV considering high fuel prices within the country and also due to the ever growing need for greener alternatives.

Challenges and a green future 

Unfortunately, the  biggest disadvantage that India has is that the cities are heavily congested. Only a few city dwellers have the luxury of owning a garage. As many as 70 per cent of cars in Delhi and Mumbai are estimated to be parked on the roads. Public space that is utilized by multiple vehicles on a shared basis is way more efficient than the equal amount of owned space dedicated to a vehicle. Such spaces have to be identified across the location and authorized by the government to be used by charge point operators engaged in the business of EV charging.

While many countries still have some homework and have to take initiative to improve the existing EV Charging infrastructure, some innovative alternatives and also the willingness of local governments to speculate and endorse an EV future will certainly play a key role in the success of electric vehicles. 

We need to make certain that the general masses have reliable access to charging infrastructure to keep accelerating the acquisition of electric vehicles. In the same way that platforms have been developed for people to profit on their personal assets by sharing them with strangers (Uber, Airbnb), personal/home EV chargers may become “shared” assets to ensure that everyone can get a charge.

There are many, well-documented reasons why EV uptake is progressing at such a slow pace. Reasons such as the lack of charging infrastructure and the Cost that it incurs often contribute to that. 

Public charging infrastructure is quite high priced, particularly for rapid chargers. The expense mainly because of higher operating and maintenance costs, including rent and insurance, relative to home and workplace charge points. Second, overall costs are uncertain – a charge point's exact location will have an effect on the fact that additional utility works are required or not. 

Despite the very fact that automakers are rapidly expanding their EV line-ups and multiple governments are offering generous purchase incentives, the main issue is that there might not be sufficient charging infrastructure to support the growing fleet and it could hamper the transition to emissions-free vehicles.

The Revolutionary learning and upskilling programs, by Autobot Academy, combine hands-on with technology learning experience which provide interactive experience along with a delivering style that enables everyone to become an active participant in the learning experience. It prepares the individuals to be better prepared and cater to the ever- booming EV industry. Autobot have always had a futuristic vision. 

We have been of the opinion that if India is looking to become an EV nation then it is extremely important that the infrastructure should be well equipped for the needs of tomorrow. The demand for skilled labour in the EV industry can only be met if aspiring individuals are given the appropriate academic knowledge and the existing employees are trained to face the challenges posed by the industry. 

When it comes to India, it has taken some important steps to expand the charging infrastructure network in the past couple of years. The first and very significant step was to treat EV charging as a “service”. This allows anyone to set up and operate EV charging stations without requiring a license. The other positive step was to treat ‘EV Charging Station’ as a separate category under Tariff Order by electricity regulators.

Many experts believe that as the technology evolves, it will promote the usage of renewable energy utilization for charging electric vehicles, where it can be charged in day time with cheaper rates of renewable energy and excess energy will be injected in grid (battery storage) to reduce the grid load, and at the same time make revenue. So the future of electric mobility will combine renewable sources with battery storage and charging. The experts are hopeful that with such rapid development we will surely move towards a greener future.