Located at an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level in the Trans-Himalayan region of India, Kaza is the largest and most developed city in the Valley of Spiti. Kaza now holds the world record for the highest EV charging station, which was installed there lately.
By opening an EV charging station in Kaza, the scenic Lahaul and Spiti region of the Union Territory’s administration hopes to mitigate infrastructural concerns.
The EV charging station was opened for the general public on Thursday, and the facility was first used by at least two electric scooters.
Two scooters successfully charged at the opening ceremony were set up by the goEgo Company. ARAI and OCA-certified Bharat AC and Dual Socket Type 2 chargers have been installed across the state to support all the electric scooters and cars, and they have the Make-in-India certification and compliance.
ARAI and OCA-certified Bharat AC and Dual Socket Type 2 chargers have been installed across the state to support all the electric scooters and cars, and they have the Make-in-India certification and compliance.
Mahendra Pratap Singh, Kaza Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), said;
This is the world’s highest electric vehicle charging station at 500 ft in Kaza. It is the first station here. Today two women have come from Manali to Kaza on the electric vehicle to promote a sustainable environment. The weather nowadays is changing abruptly due to an increase in air pollution and the emission of gases from vehicles is one of the main causes of this pollution.
Furthermore, the charging station would play an essential function to prevent traffic pollution in protecting the untouched ecosystem in the area. Those who drive in an electric vehicle will be able to use the charging stations at Kaza, which will be available.
“All the products are made in India here and we traveled from Manali to Kaza to promote sustainable energy. Also, there is a myth that we can not cover long-distance journeys on electric vehicles. So, we both wanted to prove it wrong by riding these electric scooters today from Manali. We had a very comfortable journey,” said one of the women who rode an electric vehicle from Manali to Kaza.
The Ladakh is not known to have too many conventional ICE car refueling stations. Every year thousands of motorcyclists and car owners use the adventure route Manali-Leh or Srinagar-Leh. So, very few have so far tried to cover the distance on an electric vehicle.
Travelers have few options for refueling stations on the way to Manali-Leh through Lahaul and Spiti. One of them is in Tandi, Himachal Pradesh, and the other is in Karu, approximately 345 kilometers in the direction of Leh. It is approximately 430 kilometers from Leh to Manali.
The Ladakh administration could, in the future, boost electric vehicles, both two-wheelers, and four-wheelers, with additional EV charging points along the major routes.
While that happens, India is advancing its electric vehicles industry, as battery-powered small electric vehicle products including e-scooters, electric three-wheelers, e-rickshaws, electric carts, and e-bikes are booming across the country.
The Department of Transport also plans to set the green hydrogen intercity railway, metro, and long-distance busses in order to encourage green traffic.
“Both battery electric vehicle and fuel cell vehicle technologies are complementary to each other and are all set to overtake fossil-run automotive by 2050 in the country,” the minister said.
In order to promote EV infrastructure in the State, goEgo teamed with TVS Motor Company. The company also said it is aimed at encouraging EV users to drive long-distance without worrying about the recharge of batteries.
The company is committed to building more of these public charging stations in all of the nation’s popular attractions, to fulfill this objective.
Sources: livemint.com, hindustantimes.com
