News Brief
Work On Eight Additional EV Charging Points Along Pune–Mumbai Expressway Set To Commence Soon
EV charging station (Pic via Twitter)
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will set up eight additional electric vehicle charging stations along the 94.5 km Pune–Mumbai expressway, in a move aimed at easing long-distance travel for EV users, reported Times of India.
At present, five charging points are operational on the route.
“Presently, there are five spots on the expressway where there are EV charging stations. We plan to install eight more. A study on this has been initiated, and we should be able to identify these locations soon. With more EV charging stations, vehicles will be able to operate with ease,” a senior MSRDC official was quoted as saying by TOI.
The official added that another study is underway to determine the actual volume of electric vehicles using the highway.
“Presently, we do not have any records regarding this. However, with tolls for EVs now exempted, we need to know the average numbers. We expect that the new charging points should start coming up by the end of this year,” he said.
While the state government recently announced toll exemptions for EVs on the Pune–Mumbai Expressway, Samruddhi Mahamarg and Atal Setu, motorists argue that charging facilities have not kept pace.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Vahan portal, Maharashtra has over 5.58 lakh registered EVs.
