Bengaluru: The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) on Monday inaugurated its Fast Charging Station at its KR Circle office, the first such public facility in the city, which has more than 6,000 registered electric vehicles.
Energy Minister D K Shivakumar said one charging will cost a car owner approximately Rs 75, and this would allow him to travel 120km. “Ten more stations will be opened in the coming month across the city, including at Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha and other Bescom stations, including the one on MG Road,” the minister said.
As an inaugural offer, Bescom is offering a flat rate of Rs 4 per unit of power till the time the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) approves tariffs the company has proposed. The proposed tariff is about Rs 4.85 per unit of power between 6am and 10pm and Rs 3.85 per unit between 10pm and 6am. Bescom, however, said the rates would differ for fast charging options: Rs 5 per unit and Rs 4.40 per unit during day and night respectively.
“It takes approximately 16 units of power to charge a car enough to run for 120km. This works out to less than Rs 60/km which makes it very competitive,” Bescom Managing Director P Rajendra Cholan said.
Bescom is in talks with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited about putting up charging stations at different locations like Namma Metro stations.
Cholan said around 200 locations have been identified and feasibility studies for nearly 70 are complete. “If there is a strong demand for charging points, we’ll be able to install them in a short time,” he added.
