17 December 2021, Pune | Pune has started working on fast-tracking electric vehicle adoption and has set sights on going ‘all electric’ in the future. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in collaboration with RMI India hosted the first City Electric Vehicle (EV) Accelerator workshop to fast-track electric vehicle adoption in Pune.
At the workshop, PMC shared its vision and roadmap for the newly established city EV cell, a first-of-its kind governing mechanism for EVs in the country. PMC showcased ongoing electric mobility initiatives and encouraged key industry stakeholders to share their recommendations.
Stakeholders from the civic administration and representatives from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), charging infrastructure manufacturers and operators, fleet aggregators, start-ups, academia and civil society also attended the workshop.
Hinjewadi, Pune railway station, Lohegaon airport, Swargate and Bhekrainagar are some of the areas in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad that are coming up as ‘concentrated hub of electric vehicles deployment’ and ‘public charging clusters’ for electric vehicles.
These locations – where charging stations exist or EVs are operating in large numbers or companies plan to deploy EV in future – have been identified by around 80 companies, attending the workshop. Based on these and other findings, a complete ‘EV charging infrastructure plan’ for the city will be prepared soon.
RMI India, an independent think-tank which is helping PMC to make Pune city ‘EV Ready’, has put together immediate and long-term steps to be implemented by PMC along with Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and the Maharashtra state government.
Akshima Ghate, senior principal, RMI India said, “Hinjewadi is an emerging area for EV deployment. We have identified seven locations and are in the process of identifying more pockets in the city to accelerate the charging infrastructure. We need to have a plan for the city which no other city in the country so far has. Our next step is to get all stakeholders in the EV ecosystem and work with city’s EV Cell to put together a charging infrastructure action plan.”
“City EV Accelerator initiative will help Pune redefine and future proof its mobility system. Pune’s EV cell model will set an example for the rest of Maharashtra and should be replicated to meet the state’s EV targets for 2025,” said Shri Aaditya Thackeray, Cabinet Minister Environment and Climate Change, Tourism and Protocol, Govt. of Maharashtra.
During the workshop, PMC commissioner Vikram Kumar said that the EV Cell will work as a ‘single window’ system to resolve grievances of all stakeholders in the EV ecosystem. He also mentioned a policy framework to allow property tax rebates for residential housing societies for setting up charging stations.
