Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Super Energy Service Company (ESCO) under the administrative control of Ministry of Power, Government of India, has announced that it will continue the iCommit initiative, to combat the air pollution in the country through the e-mobility transition. EESL on the event of World EV Day is celebrating the deployment of 1514 electric vehicles on road till date, under the National E-Mobility Programme.
Air pollution in India remains to be a major concern, despite restrictions such as a ban on firecrackers during Diwali, and guidelines on the real estate industry. One of the major chunks responsible for emissions is motor vehicles that run on fossil fuels and contribute to the deterioration of air quality in the country.
To mitigate air pollution and save fossil fuels, EESL has deployed a fleet of around 1514 electric vehicles, that have travelled 3 crore green kilometres, reducing 5604 tonnes of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and 784.25 kg of PM (particulate matter). It is important to note that these emissions are associated with chronic respiratory diseases and pose a grave threat to public health.
According to EESL, electric vehicles (EV) are an excellent solution to mitigate air pollution and commit to sustainable development. Electric vehicles deployed by EESL have already helped save 2.09 million litres of fuel leading to energy savings of approximately INR 13.59 Crore, to date. The Government of India launched the National E-Mobility Programme in 2018 to create a sustainable demand for e-vehicles, promote domestic manufacturing for lithium-ion battery, reduce oil imports, and reduce the Green House Gas emissions from the transport sector.
Furthermore, EESL is also working towards expediting the EV adoption in India by aggressively working towards building an EV charging ecosystem throughout the country. It has commissioned 534 Captive chargers (342 AC & 192 DC) in Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Island.
In addition to this, 156 nos. of Public Charging Stations (PCS) have been installed in NDMC Delhi, SDMC Delhi, CMRL Chennai, Maha Metro Nagpur, Noida Authority, Naya Raipur Development Authority and NKDA Kolkata. Also, India’s first public charging plaza was inaugurated at Chelmsford Club, New Delhi on 20th July 2020, which can charge 14 e-cars at the same time.
In the recent past, EESL also announced that it will procure 250 electric vehicles from Tata Motors and Hyundai Motor India, for government use. Both the electric vehicle manufacturers have been chosen through an international competitive bidding process.