02 Jul 2022
Where are the EV chargers? Here you go…
So everyone is worried about the charging network! Did we have 60,000 petrol pumps decades ago? No. They eventually grew. If there hadn’t been any demand there would have been no increase in stations. With electric vehicles (EV) in markets, charging infra will develop.  They aren’t going to come overnight, they will come slowly. But […]

So everyone is worried about the charging network!

Did we have 60,000 petrol pumps decades ago? No. They eventually grew. If there hadn’t been any demand there would have been no increase in stations. With electric vehicles (EV) in markets, charging infra will develop. 

They aren’t going to come overnight, they will come slowly. But what we need is a start! A START is all I am talking about. If we don’t start and just look for problems, no solution, then it can’t happen. 

Even the US and China don’t have 100% EV sale, but still they have a vast charging network. 

People who own houses here, should be the ones who should shift to EV first because they can charge at home. People discussing charging infra are missing the point of having the facility of overnight charging at home/apartment parking/ street parking. Once you have charged at night, you are unlikely to need charging during the day time. 

Also, it is important to have charging points at the workplace. Offices, private or government, should be asked to provide charging points. If that is prioritised, a large part of the problem will be solved.

What people here( in india) don’t understand is that you won’t always have to charge at public charging points, like you can only fuel up at petrol pumps. Most people in the US do home charging or at work. Let’s understand and accept this.

What else is needed is charging at parking spaces. Malls, hospital, general public parking.

Everywhere. Not a hard thing to do. But we have to start. Demand it. They aren’t going to build it if we don’t ask them. Hotels in other countries show that they have charging points. Tourist destinations should have charging points. Would attract people.

Along with this, systematic deployment of DC fast chargers at highways near facilities like restaurants.

Those arguing that who would do it, I don’t think they have heard of companies like Ionity, ChargePoint, etc. So the ecosystem will develop. But we need to start.

And all this isn’t going to drop in a day like 60,000 petrol pumps didn’t come up overnight. We need to start.

One point I would want to highlight to the government is the deployment of DC fast chargers. Currently they are of capacity 20-25Kw. That is low. Please at least have the installation of 100kw and if possible 150-200kw. Or we would have to spend again in future on ugrade.

Who will put chargers? Companies. Auto manufacturers. Companies like ChargePoint, Ionity, etc. Utility companies.

But WE NEED TO START.

And, yes, power source! That is also important. That would need large scale projects. And people can use solar panels to charge. All chargers should have overhead solar. That alone won’t be enough, but it would help. Am sure the government is also looking into it.

All my point of saying this was that EV charging infra will follow up, but we first need EVs. Or you can say we need both to start. BUT WE SURELY NEED TO START, NO MATTER WHAT.

(The views expressed in the article are the author’s own. Let Me Breathe neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)

Author: Nikhil Chaudhary

Tesla Club India

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