New Delhi: Due to a lack of proper arrangement of battery charging, many people are hesitant to buy electric vehicles. However, the government and automakers are continuously working on the charging of electric vehicles. Meanwhile, NITI Aayog on Thursday released the draft Battery Swapping Policy. Under this, in the first phase, priority will be given to all metros with a population of more than 40 lakhs for the development of a battery-swapping network.
Electric vehicle costs will be lower
The commission said in the draft policy that cities with a population of more than 5 lakh, including state capitals, and union territory headquarters, will be included in the second phase. It states that vehicles with battery swapping arrangements will be sold without batteries. This will reduce the cost of the vehicle for Electric Vehicle (EV) buyers.
As per the draft policy, any person or entity is free to set up battery-swapping stations at any location but it must comply with the prescribed technical, safety, and performance standards.
Finance Minister had announced in the budget
In view of the lack of space in urban areas to set up charging stations, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in her budget speech for 2022-23 that the Center would bring a battery-swapping policy.
Suggestions sought from people till June 5
According to the official statement, NITI Aayog initiated inter-ministerial discussions in February 2022 to prepare a strong and comprehensive policy framework in this context. The draft has been released for consultation. The commission has asked people to give their suggestions on this by June 5.
