Over 16 private firms, including some multinational corporations, have expressed interest in the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) e-vehicle (EV) charging station project. NMC had floated a tender to set up 20 charging stations in different parts of the city at a cost of INR 10 crore. In a recent pre-bid meeting, representatives from 16 private firms took part and sought project details. Officials said that a minimum of three bids are needed to carry out the tendering process. However, interest has surpassed the minimum number, probably due to the emerging nature of the EV sector.
“We expect the tender process to be completed by May-end and the actual work to begin by the end of June. It will take around three months to set up EV charging stations in the city,” said an NMC official. The charging stations will be set up in 20 locations, including six NMC divisional office buildings, and various other public places.
Sachin Mahajan, Chairman of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (Fada) state unit, noted that the demand for EVs in the state is rising significantly, and the need of the hour is to have adequate charging stations in prominent cities like Nashik, Pune and Mumbai. He added that sales of electric two-wheelers in Maharashtra have risen in the last two years, accounting for 10 percent of total two-wheeler sales in the state. Improvement in EV infrastructure, especially charging stations, will boost the sector overall. People will buy EVs as soon as the number of charging stations increases.
