The free charging enjoyed by electric vehicles (EV) owners at Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) charging stations will come to an end in two weeks. The cost incurred by the EV owners will be Rs 15 per unit.
As per the initial plan, on a pilot project the customers could charge EVs for free of cost for first three months and then later it was planned to collect payments. But it got delayed due to glitches in the app ‘Electrify’ which allows the customer to identify the place of charging station, book slot and charge the vehicle and pay the amount digitally.
Now that they have rectified the glitch. We have to execute an agreement with a digital payment firm for the transaction of payments to KSEB’s account. Once it’s done, we will move to the payment mode,” said a senior board official.
As per the current rate fixed by the commission, energy charges per unit is Rs.5, beside service charges and GST adding up to around Rs. 15 per unit. “We are collecting only the minimum amount, though it is nothing compared to the expreses by the board for setting up the stations and other expenses. The board aims to promote the EV sector,” said another official.
The construction of 25 new EV charging stations under the board is going on in various districts.
