The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), pushing for faster electrification of vehicles in Karnataka, has planned to set up 650 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the state, of which 100 will be set up in Bengaluru, The Times of India reports.

The plan comes under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV (FAME). BESCOM has said that the project would be first be implemented in Bengaluru, as the state capital is its major focus.

The 100 stations would add to the 112 EV charging stations which would be operational from August. Bengaluru currently has 8,980 EVs, which is almost over 57 per cent that is registered in the state. According to records, the city saw a 40 per cent jump in the number of registered EVs between 2018 and 2019.

The electricity company plans to set up charging stations every 20 to 25 km for a distance of 50 km on either side of the Bengaluru-Tumakuru highway and for a 100km distance on either side of Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. The proposal has been submitted to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and BESCOM is waiting for its approval.

“Due to space constraints, most of the proposed EV charging stations will come up in government offices and complexes. After Bengaluru, stations will be set up in Mysuru, Hubbali-Dharwad and Davangere and later in Shivamogga and Belagavi,” Bescom’s deputy general manager for smart grid and electric vehicle, CK Sreenath said.