Centre plans to launch master app for EV charging
The Union government is developing comprehensive software that will enable
EV
users in India to find the closest charging station on a map. According to an Economic Times story, the Centre thinks this will allay owners' range worries and open the door for greater uptake of EVs.A meeting between Niti Aayog and the companies running public EV charging stations took place on June 7. They spoke about releasing the app's beta version as soon as possible, according to the report. Users may use this app to discover the closest charging station, pay bills, and reserve spaces in advance. The Centre will run the app, with ADB providing funding.
Since most charging stations are controlled by several businesses, each of which has its own special app, this poses one of the biggest obstacles for EV customers today. The difficulties faced by EV users looking for local charging stations are only made worse by the fact that these applications are incompatible with one another.
Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a government-run company, had before proposed a similar single app. However, due to a lack of sources and the necessary information, things did not turn out as expected. It should be emphasised that participants at the Niti Aayog meeting also raised concerns about user data privacy and sharing confidential information with outside parties when the app is released. Industry sources have expressed worries about losing market share to rivals.
In the meantime, Niti Aayog has acknowledged these worries and advised the industry professionals to collaborate closely with the government and come up with a workable solution as soon as possible. As of May 5, 2023, 7,013 charging stations are in use in India, according to The Bureau of Energy Efficiency. Additionally, Phase-2 of the FAME plan has committed Rs 1,000 crore for the development of charging infrastructure across India.
The Centre has approved 2,877 charging stations in 68 Indian cities. In the meanwhile, under FAME Phase-2 has also been approved, with 1,576 charging stations on 16 routes and 9 motorways. Also, Oil companies recently got an allotment of Rs 800 crore to install 22,000 fast chargers at petrol pumps.