Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) - that has one charging station inside its head office premises at Ratnapark in kathmandu - is setting up 10 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across Kathmandu Valley within the next six months as the demand for charging stations has increased due to increasing number of electric vehicles in the country in recent years.
The power utility – publishing a notice – said that it is seeking land space for lease for the establishment of such vehicle charging stations to promote government’s plan to prioritise electric vehicles. NEA has asked government agencies, business complexes, supermarkets, hotels and hospitals to submit applications.
According to the NEA, it aims to set up electric vehicle charging stations especially in areas where vehicular movement is relatively high. "The NEA will give priority to leasers especially from areas with high vehicular movement,” the notice reads. "The government power utility plans to publish a tender notice for the procurement of necessary machinery and equipment to set up charging stations soon."
The authority has also estimated the construction cost of the 10 electric vehicle charging stations to stand at around Rs 100 million.
NEA also plans to set up charging stations – in the second phase – across different places in Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Chitwan and Biratnagar, after Kathmandu Valley.
The government has prioritised electric vehicles due to growing concern regarding pollution issues, due to low cost factor because of reduced import duty, and also huge imports of fossile fuel that comes to around Rs 200 billion – almost one fourth of the total budget. NEA estimates that there are almost 600 electric vehicles plying on the Valley’s roads. But due to lack of charging stations, electric vehicles owners are forced to charge their vehicles at home.
The government – in its policies and programmes presented at the parliament on Friday – has announced about giving special treatment to electric vehicles and setting up charging stations across the country.
The government has – in its budget for the current fiscal year – reduced import duty on electric vehicles (public vehicles) to one per cent from 30 per cent. Similarly, import duty on private electric vehicles had been slashed to 10 per cent from 30 per cent, apart from excise duty exemption on electric vehicles.
But due to lack of necessary infrastructure like charging stations and route permit from the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), the electric vehicles have yet not got as much attention as it should have.
The power utility – publishing a notice – said that it is seeking land space for lease for the establishment of such vehicle charging stations to promote government’s plan to prioritise electric vehicles. NEA has asked government agencies, business complexes, supermarkets, hotels and hospitals to submit applications.
According to the NEA, it aims to set up electric vehicle charging stations especially in areas where vehicular movement is relatively high. "The NEA will give priority to leasers especially from areas with high vehicular movement,” the notice reads. "The government power utility plans to publish a tender notice for the procurement of necessary machinery and equipment to set up charging stations soon."
The authority has also estimated the construction cost of the 10 electric vehicle charging stations to stand at around Rs 100 million.
NEA also plans to set up charging stations – in the second phase – across different places in Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Chitwan and Biratnagar, after Kathmandu Valley.
The government has prioritised electric vehicles due to growing concern regarding pollution issues, due to low cost factor because of reduced import duty, and also huge imports of fossile fuel that comes to around Rs 200 billion – almost one fourth of the total budget. NEA estimates that there are almost 600 electric vehicles plying on the Valley’s roads. But due to lack of charging stations, electric vehicles owners are forced to charge their vehicles at home.
The government – in its policies and programmes presented at the parliament on Friday – has announced about giving special treatment to electric vehicles and setting up charging stations across the country.
The government has – in its budget for the current fiscal year – reduced import duty on electric vehicles (public vehicles) to one per cent from 30 per cent. Similarly, import duty on private electric vehicles had been slashed to 10 per cent from 30 per cent, apart from excise duty exemption on electric vehicles.
But due to lack of necessary infrastructure like charging stations and route permit from the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), the electric vehicles have yet not got as much attention as it should have.
No comments:
Post a Comment