Kerala gears up to become EV enabled state

NEW DELHI: Kerala has rolled out its new plans to set up a proper infrastructure for electric vehicles. Under the state governments new plans, the state aims to roll out 1 million electric vehicles on the state roads, these will include both vehicles plying on roads as well as water ways transportations. Under the new plan of 1 million electrically motorized vehicles, 3,000 buses, 2 lakh two-wheelers, 50,000 three-wheelers, 1,000 goods carriers and 100 ferries will be rolled out.

The major challenge a state face in launching an EV fleet is lack of infrastructure to support it. To overcome this major problem, Kerala will invest on charging infrastructure and suitable technology development as well under its EV policy, said Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, after inaugurating a two-day event ‘Evolve: Kerala mobility conference and expo’.

Under new EV plans, the state owned Kerala Automobiles Limited (KAL) plans to roll out 8,000 e-autos every year. The company has partnered with Swiss electric bus manufacturer HESS for its EV plan that includes manufacturing 3,000 electric buses for KSRTC.

Vijayan also said that 100 per cent electric public transport system will be set up in Thiruvananthapuram within a year.

With the state government pushing and planning for developing such infrastructure for EVs, Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, a govt. think tank has promised subsidies and exemptions for the e-mobility and urged Kerala to take the leading seat for local manufacturing of all items needed for e-mobility rather than importing them from foreign countries.

The state also proposed to build the charging infrastructure for its EV fleet in association with Energy Efficient Services Ltd (EESL) and NTPC.