Limited charging stations hinder growing electric car market

Although the sale of electric vehicles has witnessed a gradual increase, Tiruchi lacks electric charging stations.

According to sources, Tiruchi got its first electric two-wheeler about 10 years ago. There were hardly any takers for electric bikes in the initial period. But as the months progressed, they caught the imagination of the people, although at a slow pace, and has gained momentum in recent years.

As far as electric cars are concerned, Tiruchi got its first vehicle in 2019. Just three to four units were sold per month during the initial period. The sale did not pick up in 2021 and 2022 apparently due to the impact of COVID-19. However, the sales picked up gradually in 2023. Quite a few electric car makers have showrooms in Tiruchi, selling their vehicles. Hybrid vehicles are also available in the market.

According to sources, the number of electric cars, which are on the roads, has crossed 1,000 in Tiruchi. The city roads add 40 to 50 new vehicles per month. However, it is said the number of charging stations does not correspond to the number of vehicles. As on Wednesday, there are 16 charging stations, most of them catering to electric bikes. Charging stations for four-wheelers function at Pirattiyur, Dheeran Nagar, Cantonment, Mambalasalai, Thiruvanaikoil and Kattur. There are also charging stations at Viralimalai on Tiruchi-Madurai Highway and Perambalaur on Tiruchi-Chennai Highway. Most of them have just one or two charging points.

It takes at least 45 minutes to an hour to charge the battery of a car. It depends upon the capacity of the charging stations. The car owners have to book in advance to charge their cars. Otherwise, they have to wait for their turn.

“We sell about 25 units per month. The awareness of electric vehicles has gone up and we get at least 50 enquiries per day. If we have a sufficient number of charging stations, we can certainly convert at least 10% of the enquiry into business,” says an executive of a popular electric car brand in Tiruchi.

However, he adds that there is no big issue with charging bikes as many owners prefer to charge the batteries at their homes. It would take at least 10 to 16 hours to charge the car batteries at homes. Moreover, the homes should have fool-proof and trouble-free electric connection.

A senior official of the Transport Department in Tiruchi said the registration of electric cars and bikes had gone up gradually in the recent months. The need of the hour was to encourage entrepreneurs to set up charging stations on highways.