NHforEV: With 30 charging stations, Delhi-Jaipur & Noida-Agra expressways to become EV friendly!

In a bid to promote the use of Electric Vehicles (Evs), the administration is all set to start a mobile-subscription based rental EV service on the Delhi-Jaipur and Noida-Agra e-highways. Notably, this pilot project is in sync with the Battery Swapping policy proposed in Union Budget 2022.

The move will cater to converting the Jaipur-Delhi-Agra highway into an e-highway that provides charging facilities, automatic roadside assistance, 24*7 connectivity and anti-theft protection to all the electric vehicles running on the corridor. In a virtual meeting held on Friday, the members of the National Highway for EV (NHEV) Working Group met with Sudhendu J Sinha, Advisor Infrastructure, Connectivity – Transport and Electric Mobility and NITI Aayog to discuss this policy.

Redefining the urban transport system in India

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NHforEV aims to develop a framework that could be replicated pan-India for transforming the rest of the 12 identified corridors by the Ministry of Power into electric highways. Under the ambit of this pilot project, battery standardisation and the need for piloting a prototype for ground realities were proposed in the meeting.

As per the discussions, all the 30 NHEV charging stations on this route will have 20 two-wheelers and 20 three-wheelers EVs with swapping units. This rental service will be available for the public with a mobile-application subscription, like Yulu, providing smart and environment-friendly means transportation to nearby cities like Mathura, Vrindavan, Agra, Jaipur and other places.

What is the Battery Swapping policy?

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With the aim to offer a cleaner and greener future to cities, the government proposed the Battery Swapping policy in the Union Budget 2022. By setting up charging stations and formulating interoperability standards, the administration aims to boost the use of Electric Vehicles in the country.

The policy will also provide EV owners with the flexibility to swap batteries at swap stations within minutes, and charge them at home. Notably, this policy is aimed to offer a level playing field to the operators. According to reports, the policy will focus on establishing a comprehensive framework that includes the regulatory, operational and technical elements, to incentivize battery swapping.

-with inputs from ANI.