Electric Vehicles (EVs) are unquestionably the ultimate solution to various mobility and fuel-related issues that the world currently faces. Despite the market being at a nascent stage, India is presently promoting and investing heavily in the EV market to encourage sustainability and reduce pollution and fuel import costs. The Indian government has introduced several subsidies and incentives for EV players to drive the adoption of EVs in the country.
Although EVs are rapidly gaining popularity in India, they do face their fair share of challenges. One of the most significant hurdles the market and customers face is the charging infrastructure. Potential owners are experiencing the most difficulties installing a charging station because many residential, multi-story buildings lack a permanent or fixed parking spot. An accessible and reliable network of EV charging infrastructure is needed to achieve this ambitious shift.
It may be tough to set up a home charging unit for EV owners who live in apartments. However, this isn’t an insurmountable problem. There are several options for charging your electric vehicle at your apartment. Here’s what you can do.
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How to charge your electric vehicle at your apartment?
It’s ideal to have your own circuit so you can install a dedicated AC charging point (3.3 kW or 7 kW) in your allocated parking space. The other option is that the RWAs (Residents Welfare Association) of the social construct charging stations (AC or DC) in the common parking area so that residents can use that.
If you don’t have a designated parking spot, one unusual option is for EV owners to carry their batteries (weighing more than 20 kg) to their apartment and charge them there, which may not be feasible for most people. However, it is best to buy an EV that comes with removable or swappable batteries, as this is an innovative feature that allows for super-fast charging and benefits two-wheelers, bikes, and last-mile connections.
In today’s scenario, the EV eco-system must be smart (IoT-enabled), allowing remote access to EV-charging procedures. It will assist in collecting critical data, such as energy consumption, authentication, and amortization. A resident on the 7th floor would certainly not want to descend all the way to the ground floor to turn off the charging.
The scope of EVSE in RWA/societies
An environmentally-friendly mobility solution has the potential to cut carbon emissions and improve health while also assisting India’s transition to greener and cleaner cities. However, good coordination is essential to ensure efficiency. The responsibility of RWAs is to make it easier for third-party suppliers and residents to work together, so with advancing technology, communities need to understand and adopt EV. RWAs/societies can designate specific parking spots for EVSE installation, allowing residents to visit designated parking areas to charge their electric vehicles.
The EVSE is a wall-mounted box that connects your vehicle to the power source. The Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) ensures safety by allowing two-way communication between the charging station and the electric vehicle. Smart EVSE results in safe EV charging, balancing the available load and the energy consumption is trackable, which helps to subsidize under government policies.
Residents and delivery guys can charge their electric vehicles when the charging spot is empty, generating revenue for society. As a result, it’s critical to recognize that installing EV charging to your property can boost its value and attract valuable tenants to choose your location and stay longer.
Summing up
While players in the EV infrastructure space are constantly working to bolster the infrastructure, home charging is a highly convenient method and will gain immense traction as the EV market grows further. People are currently hesitant to switch to EVs due to a lack of adequate infrastructure. Setting up a home charging unit, with good planning and cooperation from EV charging infrastructure providers, can be a convenient, seamless way of charging EVs. With robust infrastructure, the EV market will witness a boom, and an increasing number of people will begin to purchase EVs.
Author: Vaibhav Tyagi, Co Founder, Kazam
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