Public electric vehicle charging stations in Tamil Nadu consumed 1.727 million units (MU) of electricity in the first two months of financial year 2024-25, according to data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
The overall electricity consumption by public charging stations across India was 113.58 MU in the first two months of FY2024-25, as per the report by the Clean Energy and Energy Transition Division of the CEA.
As per the CEA data, in Tamil Nadu 163 public charging stations consumed 1.032MU of electricity in April 2024,while 154 consumed 0.695 MU in May 2024. The major regions in Tamil Nadu with public charging stations included Coimbatore, Villupuram, Tirunelveli, Chennai North and Vellore.
However, there were no specific public charging stations for heavy duty vehicles in the State, it said.
In 2023-24, the public charging stations in Tamil Nadu consumed 13.383 MU of electricity. In April 2023 and May 2023 the consumption was 1.438 MU and 1.422 MU respectively.
Tamil Nadu is an electric vehicle hub, with around 40% of the EV four-wheelers and close to 70% of the EV two-wheelers sold in the country are made in the State.
As per CEA data, Delhi (54.43 MU), Maharashtra (28.64 MU), Gujarat (8.78MU) were the top states in terms of electricity consumption by public charging stations. These States also had public charging stations specific to heavy vehicles.
“Tamil Nadu has done well in terms of attracting investments and creating jobs in the electric vehicle sector. But electric vehicle adoption still remains a challenge,” K.P.Karthikeyan, CEO and Director of Zeon Electric Private Limited, which installs EV chargers at public locations, said.
According to data from Climate Trends, Tamil Nadu’s EV sales stood at 15,715 vehicles in the first two months of financial year 2024-25 and the penetration was 4.99%. Two-wheelers accounted for 85.84% of the electric vehicle penetration, followed by three-wheelers at 6.82%.
Delhi’s EV penetration stood at 9.25%, while Maharashtra’s penetration stood at 5.80% and Gujarat stood at 3.33% in April and May 2024.
“Delhi has seen good penetration in terms of e-buses. One of the challenges in Tamil Nadu is the cost of setting up a charging station is higher when compared to other States. The electricity tariff, even though it was reduced for the charging stations in Tamil Nadu, it is still on the higher side when compared to other States,” Mr. Karthikeyan said
“The recent drop in electricity consumption by public charging stations in Tamil Nadu when compared to previous year seems counterintuitive especially when considering the state’s strong industrial base and progressive energy policies,” Archit Fursule, research associate, e-mobility, Climate Trends, said.
However, this decline might signal a period of consolidation and efficiency improvements rather than a loss of momentum. Tamil Nadu’s commitment to renewable energy, coupled with its strategic focus on electric vehicle adoption, suggests that this is a temporary lull as the State recalibrates its energy usage patterns. As infrastructure for EVs continues to develop and awareness campaigns gain traction, the demand for electricity is likely to rise again. Tamil Nadu’s potential in driving India’s green energy agenda remains strong, and this current dip could simply be a prelude to a more sustainable and robust growth trajectory in the near future, he added.
Published - August 11, 2024 06:31 pm IST
