CHENNAI: After vowing to invest Rs 50 crore to boost charging infrastructure in Tamil Nadu during the Global Investor Meet, Japanese charging point operator Terra is all set to launch the first of its five charging stations in the next two to three months in Chennai.
Speaking to TNIE, Md Aamir, Business Head, Terra Charge, said the company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government for setting up the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the next five years.
He also discussed that the market penetration of electric vehicles in Chennai is not that high as compared to other cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Delhi. “We are working with partners to develop the charging infrastructure as we hope the electric vehicle penetration will pick up due to the government policies,” he said.
Tamil Nadu is now preparing a blueprint based on recent dialogue with charging point operators, Tangedco and vehicle operators after the industries department rolled out an Electric Vehicle (EV) policy last year. Aamir claimed that the EV penetration will increase once the vehicles are made affordable.
He also said that Terra will be providing 30kw and 60kw chargers that will charge the vehicles fast. The company’s goal is to offer efficient solutions tailored to the specific needs of Tamil Nadu’s evolving EV market. Interestingly, operators are also keen to provide charging stations in residential townships. They are also waiting for the amendment in Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules to set up charging infrastructure in buildings.