Come November, Union ministers and senior bureaucrats would be moving around in electric sedans as the world’s third-largest oil guzzler has decided to join the electric vehicle (EV) covenant by floating global bids for 10,000 battery-powered cars along with 4,000 charging stations in the NCR.
Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a company promoted by state-run power utilities, has notified the tender and will float RFP (request for proposals) on Friday. “We will start with government departments,” Union power, coal, and renewable energy minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday after EESL and state-run fuel retailers signed MoUs for selling energy efficient LED bulbs from petrol pumps.
EESL MD Saurabh Kumar said the company will buy 1,000 four-door EVs that can run 120-150 km on a single charge in the first phase spread over six months. “We intend to have 300-400 EVs out in the NDMC zone (housing all ministries and most government offices) by November,” Kumar said. “We told the government we will provide the EVs, drivers, and maintenance. So nothing changes for the departments as they will continue to get the service for, maybe, Rs 5,000 less, and contribute to reducing pollution.”
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