State-run Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) is trying to rope in more states and make a pan-India roll out of 9,500 electric vehicles this year, as the first 500 cars are ready to be delivered in Delhi next week.
EESL in August last year floated a tender for 10,000 electric cars. The first part of this tender required 500 vehicles to be rolled out, while the remaining are to be delivered in the second phase of the tender. Only the first batch of cars was to be deployed in Delhi-NCR and the remaining 9,500 can be deployed in Delhi and any other state “We are actually planning to make it a pan-India rollout. Many states have evinced interest in our EV programme. Once we start the roll out at the NCR level, more states will follow,” Saurabh Kumar, managing director, EESL, told ET.
The first batch of 500 electric sedans is ready to be delivered to the Central government around January 15 and the supporting charging infrastructure is in place, he said. Presently, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat are the states apart from Delhi who have come forward to be a part of the electric vehicle roll out in the second phase, Kumar said.
The first batch of 500 electric sedans is ready to be delivered to the Central government around January 15 and the supporting charging infrastructure is in place, he said. Presently, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat are the states apart from Delhi who have come forward to be a part of the electric vehicle roll out in the second phase, Kumar said.
Looking at the industry and government’s interest in the segment, Kumar said that he wants to focus on the present tender at hand, while another tender for EVs may also be expected. “I hope the second tender to be at least the same size if not large. It all depends on how this shapes up and how the government decides to take this forward. Beyond this there needs to be some guidance. Industry is taking this very seriously,” he said.
