The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has issued a draft order for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, tariffs, and other regulatory issues.

As per the draft order, a tariff of ₹6 (~$0.081) applies to public charging stations (PCS) under two categories: LT-8 and HT-6. The tariff also applies to battery charging stations (BCS) and battery swapping stations (BSS). The order permits a 15% rebate for PCS during off-peak hours between 11 PM and 6 AM.

In June this year, the Commission had issued a draft order inviting feedback from stakeholders on its proposal for new business models for setting up public EV charging infrastructure.

The latest draft order comes with a ‘regulatory framework for promoting electric vehicles and their impact on the grid,’ referred to by RERC as a concept paper on EVs.

Public charging stations for EVs would be set up as DISCOM-owned stations, privately-owned, and public-private partnership charging stations.

Charging stations may also be installed at housing societies, malls, office complexes, restaurants, hotels, etc., with a provision to allow charging of visitor’s vehicles.

According to the draft order, setting up a public charging stations would be a de-licensed activity, and any individual or entity is free to set it up, provided that such stations meet the technical and performance standards and protocol laid down by the Ministry of Power (MoP) and Central Electricity Authority (CEA) from time to time.

Charging stations for e-two/three-wheelers are free to install chargers other than those specified by RERC, subject to compliance with technical and safety standards as laid down by CEA.

Public charging stations for long-range EVs and heavy-duty EVs (like trucks, buses) will be fast-charging stations with the following specifications:

DISCOMs may also encourage other oil and gas companies like Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) to invest in charging networks, specifically fast-charging stations at inter-city routes like state and national highways.

DISCOMs would also promote ‘smart charging’ by optimizing the charging process according to distribution grid constraints and local renewable energy availability. The EV charging patterns would be controlled to flatten the peak demand and support the grid’s real-time balancing by adjusting their charging levels.

DISCOMs would install a smart meter at all stations, which will help the former manage load and provide grid security in the long run.

This November, the RERC had issued regulations for determining tariffs for renewable energy-based power sources for 2020. An important regulation included a 100% exemption of intra-state transmission and wheeling charges for solar power projects supplying power to electric vehicle charging stations.

A few days ago, Madhya Pradesh also determined tariffs for low voltage, high voltage, and extra-high voltage consumers in the state in its retail supply tariff order. As per the order, electric vehicles and electric rickshaw charging stations are exempted from the tariff hike.

Earlier this year, the government revised its guidelines for EV charging infrastructure, which specified that the tariff for the supply of electricity to the EV public charging stations should not be more than 15% of the average cost of supply of power.

Rahul is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Before entering the world of renewables, Rahul was head of the Gujarat bureau for The Quint. He has also worked for DNA Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad Mirror. Hailing from a banking and finance background, Rahul has also worked for JP Morgan Chase and State Bank of India. More articles from Rahul Nair.