Mandatory EV charging points in Gujarat
More electric vehicles (EVs) are likely on Gujarat's roads as the state government forces builders to develop additional charging infrastructure.
An industry source cites the example of real estate development projects that are making sure they comply with the government's new stipulation that 20% of all vehicle parking capacity in a building must be allocated to EVs. Take builder Bhupesh Tamakuwala, who received clearance from the Gandhinagar-based State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) on August 21 (2023) for its Rs248.87cr ($30m) building project of seven 11-storey towers in Surat.
SEIAA granted the clearance on condition that Tamakuwala provides EV charging facilities for 20% of the 454 car parking spaces. In contrast, consider the example of well-known Surat-based diamond businessman and builder Vasant Gajera, who is setting up a textiles market on 237,088-sq metres of land in Surat.
In his application to the SEIAA, Gajera said 30 charging points would be provided for EVs. However, the SEIAA returned the application on May 11 (2023), telling Gajera to provide charging points for 712 EVs.
India's housing and urban affairs ministry stipulated that 20% of parking spaces should have charging points in February (2019) when introducing amendments to the Model Building By-laws - 2016. But the pandemic hit soon after in 2020, and state governments were slow to respond to the ministry's amendments.
This report learns the 20% rule is now an essential condition for granting environmental clearance to new buildings in Gujarat since earlier this year (2023). "Applications for new buildings without 20% of the car parking space with charging points are referred back to the developer," we hear.
Some buildings are even exceeding the 20% allocation. Green Garnet, a residential building under construction at the fast-developing Shela village in western Ahmedabad, has provided charging facilities for 72 of its 186 parking spaces or 38.7%.
"With more charging points, EVs will become popular," we hear. "Most people don't opt for EVs simply because there's insufficient charging infrastructure."
But with the SEIAA handling about 40 to 50 building applications every month, that might soon change.