Some good news for the state’s electric vehicle owners ahead of the Bengali new year. Calcutta now has its own sweet spot for public EV charging.
West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) has teamed with EV charging network Powerbank to construct what the business says is the largest public rapid charging centre for EVs in East India.
The hub, which is now capable of concurrently fast-charging 25 cars with an equal number of connection guns and is available 24 hours a day, is located in New Town, Rajarhat on a 1150 sq m property near the Biswa Bangla Convention Center and the popular HIDCO-run Café Ekante.
The facility, according to EV owners, would provide a much-needed enhancement above and beyond the eight charging points already in operation across New Town.
“Charging through DC ports distributing 15 kilowatt/hour charge would be accessible for four-wheelers for the time being.” A car would take around an hour to completely charge in this facility on average. “But, we aim to introduce slow chargers for two-wheelers and three-wheelers shortly,” said Rajneesh Agrawal, CEO of Power Bank.
“Further expansions will allow 50-75 vehicles to enjoy fast charging and slow charging facilities. The public can access these charging facilities in a hassle-free manner through the PowerbankEV charging mobile application,” according to a company statement.
A senior HIDCO official, who advocates for green and sustainable mobility in the state, confirmed that the Bengal power department has framed and notified its EV policy, which calls for the state to have a 360-degree support infrastructure for battery-powered vehicles in place within the next decade.
“We are also planning to set up public charging facilities for Evs inside the gated communities of New Town, at least the major ones, pretty soon,” he confirmed.
Power Bank anticipates that the New Town facility will be predominantly used by e-cab businesses operating in Kolkata and its surrounding areas. “In our experience, EV adoption begins naturally in the taxi services market, owing to the clear financial benefits of a battery-powered car.” This hub will now alleviate the range anxiety of drivers who previously had to return to their charging stations in the case of an unplanned journey. “Private EV owners who need to undertake unscheduled travels can profit from this capability as well,” Agrawal added, citing company experiences from its operating locations in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune, and Mumbai.
Agrawal responded when questioned as to whether Power Bank intends to expand its presence in Bengal’s smaller cities and along highways throughout the state: That is precisely the goal. In order to establish charging stations on both sides of highways, we are closely monitoring EV adoption across states and mapping towns and high-frequency routes.
The CEO made the observation, “Bengal and broadly speaking Eastern India hasn’t adapted to EVs as quickly as some of the other parts of the country,” acknowledging that returns from vehicle electrification have a long gestation period. However, initiatives like this one can be considered the first step toward the inescapable. We are aware that adoption will undoubtedly follow if the infrastructure is implemented first.
That seemed like a paradox for the auto industry in India’s future: a leap of faith that must be accepted as a given.
