HPTDC To Install EV Charging At Its Hotels To Boost Tourism in Himachal Pradesh

In an effort to attract tourists, the Himachal Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) is installing EV charging stations at its hotels situated across the state. The hotels of the Corporation are strategically located at prominent places such as Barog, Parwanoo, Kiarighat, Darlaghat, and other top destinations along highways. These places witness significant tourist footfall.

Moreover, HPTDC has hotels in various popular locations, including Shimla, Fagu, Paonta Sahib, Nurpur, Rampur, Kullu, Manali, Dharamsala, Palampur, and even in tribal areas like Keylong, Chamba and Kaza.

Rajeev Kumar, the Managing Director, HPTDC, says that the initiative to set up electric vehicle charging stations aims to attract tourists. He mentioned that all hotels are expected to be equipped with such stations within the next two to three months.

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In the initial phase, HPTDC has installed Level 1 charging stations which incur minimal expenses. The HPTDC MD mentioned that if these stations prove to be popular among tourists, they may consider exploring higher Level 2 stations, involving an expenditure of approximately Rs 40,000. While a Level 1 station takes 10-12 hours to fully charge a vehicle and operates through a 120-volt in-house outlet, a Level 2 station takes about four to six hours and requires a 240-volt outlet, necessitating the installation of larger equipment.

On the other hand, a Level 3 station, which can fully charge a vehicle within minutes, requires a substantial investment in the lakhs for installation.

Challenges & Policy Push

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But there are challenges that HPTDC may face in this journey. The corporation has limited funds for investing in such EV charging stations. The effectiveness of the basic Level 1 charging station in attracting more visitors remains uncertain, as only those staying overnight would be able to avail of the facility. Furthermore, the success of promoting e-vehicles by the state government is yet to be determined, considering concerns raised by users about the cost of battery replacements and other limitations.

Under its 2022 EV Policy, the Himachal government will establish an EV charging station within every 1km X 1km grid in the model cities of Shimla, Baddi, Mandi and Dharamshala. The state will also have one charging station on each side of every 25km of state made highways. On the national highways, there will be at least one charging station every 50km.

Last year, the Deputy Commissioner of Sirmaur of Himachal Pradesh directed all sub-divisional magistrates in Sirmaur district to identify spots for the installation of 100 EV charging stations of 50 Kw capacity on state highways and near the bus stands.

To give a boost to  Electric Vehicles (EV) growth in Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed all government departments not to buy diesel or petrol vehicles starting January 1, 2024.

Under the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme, electric taxi permits are being provided to the Himachal youth by providing them 50 per cent subsidy on the purchase. The government is developing infrastructure for charging electric vehicles and these can also be charged at home.