An electrical car (EV) charging station at a Bescom workplace in Bengaluru. Bengaluru Urban district has 4,281 charging stations, constituting 85% of the entire charging infrastructure inside Karnataka.
| Photo Credit: File picture
To bolster the infrastructure obligatory for the widespread adoption of electrical automobiles (EVs), the Karnataka Transport Department has ready a plan to arrange EV charging stations in all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and on highways in the State.
The set up of EV charging stations will probably be facilitated by way of collaboration with electrical energy provide firms (escoms). An official in the Transport Department stated, “To incentivise the usage of electric vehicles, we are taking pro-active measures to establish EV charging stations along major highways and RTO offices. Our plan involves partnering with local escoms to ensure setting up of these charging stations.”
Karnataka stands on the forefront in India in phrases of public EV charging infrastructure, boasting of a staggering 5,059 charging stations, as per information from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) below the Union Ministry of Power. Bengaluru Urban district leads with 4,281 charging stations, constituting 85% of the entire charging infrastructure inside Karnataka.
Surge in electrical car adoption
(*2*) an official defined.
In Karnataka, the variety of EVs skyrocketed from 9,703 in 2020 to 1.52 lakh in 2023.
The State Government unveiled a revised draft Electric Vehicle (EV) coverage (2023-28) in 2023, geared toward fostering a strong electrical car ecosystem in Karnataka. The coverage endeavors to entice an funding of ₹50,000 crore whereas concurrently producing employment alternatives for one lakh people.
Karnataka Government discontinues tax exemption for high-end EVs
Recently, the State Government ceased offering tax breaks for high-end EVs in Karnataka. The consequence was a rise in the costs of high-end electrical automobiles, priced at ₹25 lakh and above. This enhance stems from the lifetime tax, amounting to 10% of their complete price, in the course of the registration course of.
This tax coverage alteration applies to electrical vehicles, SUVs, and buses, in accordance to a notification marking the federal government’s preliminary step in the direction of eliminating tax exemptions beforehand relevant to the registration of latest electrical automobiles.
