Written by adminAugust 29, 2023

Best Practices For Charging Electric Vehicles At Offices

The fact is that the number of Electric vehicles has increased on Indian roads. Many people are switching to electric vehicles to do their bit to save the planet and appear cool! Some of your employees might be bringing their EVs to the workplace. Hence, you should establish best practices concerning charging EVs at your office.

Effective office EV charging policies  

Effective workplace electric vehicle charging policies for EV drivers comprise enforceable rules on using available workplace charging stations. It is necessary to implement policies that clearly state where all employees should park their vehicles, an EV or a conventional one. 

Motivate EV drivers

Besides framing policies, effective employers should develop a viable environment. Drivers should be encouraged to follow established best practices concerning using charging stations, thereby reducing charging conflicts. Incorporate behavioral norms and best practices within charging station policies. You may even consider encouraging its use without establishing a formal charging policy. The latter is effective in case of low demand for workplace charging.

Networked stations

Organizations can evaluate overall system usage with digitally networked stations. They can also identify potential solutions and shortcomings for EV charging stations in India. Times of use, usage level, energy factors, duration, and vehicle type are some parameters that need evaluation and constant monitoring. Although installing networked stations is expensive and involves monthly service fees, many organizations favor it.

Driver communication network

A well-developed communication link is desired between EV drivers using office charging stations. It helps streamline station usage or prevent conflicts. Often, individual organizations develop custom communication networks based on existing programs or systems. It might include a shared contact list, interoffice email group, social media group, or calendar-based reservation systems. 

Charging network for visitors

Charging stations installed at the workplace can also be shared with visitors, clients, and customers. In such a case, information should be posted in a visible space at the station, allowing visitor-regular communication. Thus, the EV visitor driver can enquire about space to charge their vehicle during their stay. Such a communication network can help new drivers eager to power their cars at work. They are to coordinate with other users at the charging station.

Charging sharing etiquettes

At times EVs might exceed the available capacity at the charging station. In such circumstances, EVs that have completed charging are shifted to another place. It enables others to use the station. Workplace scenario is common for Levels-2 charging stations. However, EVs’ range is not hampered since most commuting EVs get charged fully after 4 hours.

Charging time

Policies should be implemented to limit the duration when EVs can be powered at work. Cars can be powered at the office charging station either after or before lunch break. Once fully charged, EVs can leave the parking space to accommodate others who need charging. It should be part of the charging policy. Charging schedules should be circulated amongst EV drivers. The topic should be discussed with employees, and appropriate action taken based on individual schedules. 

Avoiding rush

With comprehensive charging policies in place, every EV driver will have easy and quick access to the charging station. No one will have to rush to the station to access the charger. Several organizations are noticed to have fewer chargers and need more EVs to be charged! Thus, implementing well-drafted workplace charging policies helps support charge sharing among EV drivers.

Challenges faced

EV drivers, however, have one major complaint stating that they need to move their EVs during the workday. It causes them inconvenience and disruption, especially if their vehicles need parking at a distance. Usually, charging station cords are lengthy enough to reach ports on different EVs. Hence, the charging station placed amongst two parking spaces is accessible by those vehicles. 

Infrastructure design

The charging station’s design should be such that it gets used to the optimum. The infrastructure should accommodate empty parking spaces and stand-by EV charging areas for vehicles not charged currently. High-priority locations should have more reserved spaces to accommodate EVs. This strategy works best if chargers are placed in convenient parking areas and not in too high-profile areas. 

Sharing charging stations

If more than one vehicle can access a charging station, the EV driver might have to remove the chord from the fully-charged EV. Establishing acceptable etiquette can help avoid conflicts among drivers. Electric vehicles are better unplugged after it is fully charged. The driver can park his EV beside the charging one, leaving the charging port open to indicate they desire to get plugged in once its charging is complete in the other vehicle. 

Implementing workplace policies

With electric cars increasing on the roads, workplace charging is gaining importance nowadays. Workplace charge is a convenience for employees and a challenge for management. Establishing workplace charging best practices helps overcome challenges. Hence, employers should consider energy costs, infrastructure, and access. Well-established best practices ensure charging stations get used to the optimum.

Read More
Written by adminJune 29, 2023

EV Sector in India to boost both the Economy and the Environment

Global climate change is a major concern today. There are several reasons of climate change, including transportation running on fuel. Governments worldwide are taking effective measures to control to slow climate change, including encouraging people to opt for eco-friendly options. Among these eco-friendly options is the use of EVs. The worldwide automotive industry is currently experiencing a paradigm shift as it seeks to adopt new, less energy-intensive approaches.

India has recently taken steps to speed up the transition to e-mobility in response to increased pollution and global climate change. The Government of India recently declared to make 30 percent of private vehicles will be electrified by 2030.

The EV industry has become a lucrative industry today. The government is emphasizing the sector by prioritizing infrastructure development, such as establishing EV charging stations.

Setting up an EV charging station in Lajpat Nagar is a great way to generate wealth as more and more people are now opting for electric vehicles.

How will EV Industry in India Boost Both the Economy and the Environment?

There are numerous ways the EV industry is going to impact both the Economy and the Environment. The EV sector is the newest sector providing business owners with myriads of opportunities to start a business by setting up EV charging stations.

According to a report, an estimated $222 billion is invested in India’s vehicle industry, and the value of the country’s EV market is expected to hit $2 billion by 2023 and $7.09 billion by 2025.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in India, there were over 13 Lakh electric vehicles on Indian roads in August 2022. By 2030, the figure is expected to reach 50 million. In addition, the EV industry is going to generate employment as people will be needed to manufacture vehicles, take care of charging stations, and so on.

India’s government is actively encouraging electric mobility growth by enacting policies like the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS), tax incentives, and consumer subsidies. Aside from that, the government has introduced additional policies like incubator programmes, shared facilities for prototype and small-scale production. Moreover, the EV sector is open to 100% FDI under the automatic route.

The Indian government recognizes the importance of e-mobility and actively promotes the use of electric vehicles throughout the country. Investments of up to USD 14.5 billion were planned for the EV industry to facilitate the production of components and the establishment of EV charging infrastructure, such as public and private charging points and battery swapping stations, to eliminate the hassles that EV owners have to go through.

Indian government implemented FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in India) scheme. It is to hasten the adoption and manufacturing of (hybrid and) electric vehicles so that the devastating effects of pollution emitted by fuel-based vehicles can be eliminated. The government committed an investment of INR 10,000 crore in the scheme.

Through public-private partnerships, the NEMMP plans to expedite the introduction of electric vehicles. Under this scheme, the government plans to invest over INR 14000 crores in research and development projects and emerging technologies and build the necessary infrastructure.

The government is actively supporting the EV industry by introducing various schemes in its favour, such as subsidies, Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS), tax incentives, and so on. All these efforts are taken to minimize the country’s dependency on fossil fuels. Greenhouse gas emissions can be cut by nearly 30% in the coming years, which will assist in achieving global climate targets.

Wrapping it up…

So, all in all, the Electric Vehicle industry is a great step towards economic development and low environmental impact. Undoubtedly, the transition to electric vehicles is going to greatly impact the world on a larger scale; however, there is a dire need for appropriate EV infrastructure. There is a need to regulate and encourage the establishment of EV charging stations in Lajpat Nagar, EV-related research, and associated skill-development strategies. The government of India is dedicated to cutting carbon dioxide emissions by one gigatonne by 2030 through the promotion of shared, electrified, and connected mobility. There is no question that the EV industry will have a significant influence not only on the Economy but also on the Environment.

Read More