Pune: A poor response in revenue generation from existing EV charging stations has prompted the civic body to put its expansion plan on the back burner.The officials from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said the initiative was taken as part of “Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Policy, 2021”. The objective was to promote sustainable and pollution-free electric vehicles and make the state a leader in electric vehicle adoption in the country, besides maintaining state’s position in vehicle manufacturing in India.As per the officials, the civic body has already started 40 EV charging stations. These were to be increased to 82 and ultimately to 500.“The administration was reviewing the response to existing stations. It has not been as per our expectation. The future course of action about expansion would be taken if we would get improved response to existing stations,” said Manisha Shekatkar, head of PMC’s electrical department.The civic body, which maintains a fleet of over 1,300 vehicles, intended to shift to electric vehicles in stages to reduce fuel costs and explore environment-friendly transport options. The global conflict in the West Asia, and its subsequent impact on fuel prices, has proved costly for the PMC’s vehicle department.Hitendra Kurne, superintending engineer of PMC’s vehicle department, told TOI, “The PMC has plans to promote use of EV vehicles. The administration has also been taking steps to reduce expenses on fuel consumption. Currently, only two fuel stations were being used for refilling of civic vehicles.”As a bulk buyer of diesel, PMC has been spending additionally approximately Rs 1 lakh per day to run its fleet because it had to pay a premium of Rs 13 extra per litre compared to retail rates due to bulk-buying regulations. The civic data stated that the vehicles of the civic body consume around 8,000 litres of fuel every day.The charging stations, on the other hand, can be used by citizens through mobile applications or by scanning a QR code available at each EV charging station. After downloading, users can register by entering their mobile number. Through the app, users can easily access information about the location and availability of parking with the help of a location map.Additionally, payment options are also provided through the app. The charging fee for citizens ranges between Rs 13 and Rs 19 per unit.PMC has a dedicated cell to promote EVs. PMC has also leased 50 electric cars for the use of civic officials. The civic body is planning to now introduce these vehicles for waste collection.
