HYDERABAD: Electric vehicle users in Hyderabad will get access to public charging stations at a uniform tariff of Rs 13 per kWh as the Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation Limited (TGREDCO) moves to appoint private Charge Point Operators (CPOs) to manage 200 charging stations across the city, The New Indian Express reported.
The selected operators will be responsible for operating and maintaining the charging network for 10 years. Around 90% of the stations are already functional or awaiting commissioning, while the remaining facilities are expected to be completed shortly.
The charging stations have been established at strategic locations with high EV demand across the Core Urban Region (CURE). The move is intended to ensure better utilisation of charging infrastructure developed through public investment and provide EV owners with dependable charging facilities.
For operational convenience, the 200 stations have been divided into six geographically distributed clusters. Cluster 1 has 34 stations, Cluster 2 has 33, Cluster 3 has 34, while Clusters 4, 5 and 6 have 33 stations each.
CPOs will manage the complete charging infrastructure within their assigned clusters, including chargers, transformers, electrical equipment and associated civil infrastructure. They will also be responsible for repairs, restoration, refurbishment and augmentation of facilities, besides obtaining necessary statutory approvals.
The stations will be transferred to operators in phases depending on their commissioning status. CPOs will have to follow the Rs 13 per kWh tariff fixed by TGREDCO and will not be allowed to change the rate independently.
However, TGREDCO may revise the tariff if electricity or EV charging rates notified by the Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission (TGERC) or the concerned distribution company are changed.
Private operators will also oversee parking arrangements, entry and exit points, access roads and signage at the stations. They will have to ensure that the facilities remain free from encroachments and do not obstruct vehicular or pedestrian movement.
To enable effective monitoring, CPOs will be required to maintain the charging stations on the TGEV platform and share operational and transaction data with TGREDCO. The data will allow the agency to track station performance, charging transactions and service delivery.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Hyderabad’s public EV charging network and support the wider adoption of electric vehicles by improving the availability and reliability of charging infrastructure.
