Electric vehicle charging points to be made mandatory in all large buildings: Deputy CM

There is a proposal to amend building by-laws

All large buildings, including apartment complexes, have to mandatorily have charging points for electric vehicles, and suitable norms to ensure the same were being drafted, said Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan on Monday.

He was addressing a panel discussing sustainable mobility at the ongoing Harvard India Conference on Monday. Sources in the Urban Development Department said a proposal to make it part of building by-laws was being considered.

Suresh Hari, chairman, CREDAI-Bengaluru welcomed the move and said many builders had already been providing charging infrastructure in large residential projects, and making it a norm would compel everyone to follow suit.

However, urban infrastructure expert Ashwin Mahesh said the renewable energy sector was driving down energy prices rapidly, even as the density of energy-saving devices and the speed with which it can be charged is increasing, creating a market dynamic of its own. “Given how minimal the needs of charging infrastructure are, the market has already begun providing it. The government only needs to create an enabling policy, but must also worry about alternate revenue sources since tax on fossil fuels constitutes a major share of the government’s revenue. Days of having battery-run houses are not far either,” he said.

Dr. Ashwath Narayan said battery run vehicles were likely to hit the roads very soon and battery banks, where vehicle owners can rent batteries and recharge them will be available in the near future. He said Karnataka was the first State to introduce an electric vehicle policy. “Karnataka is a power surplus State now, and we are giving power to vehicles at subsidised prices,” he said.

KIA old runway

Meanwhile, work on reconstruction of the old runway at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will be completed by the end of February, said Dr. Ashwath Narayan, after inspecting the work at KIA.

“At present, flights have been making use of the new runway. The reconstructed old runway will be available for public use by the end of March,” he said.

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