HIGHLIGHTS
- The government introduces a new provision to maintain charging ports in fuel stations.
- New and Existing fuel stations must install charging units to get and renew their license.
- The new provision hopes to increase electricity use and minimize the use of fossil fuels.
Nepal Govt introduces a new mandate for fuel stations to install charging ports across Nepal.
With the new provision, fuel stations must install charging ports for EVs as early as possible. The new fuel stations must comply with this provision when acquiring their new licenses while existing fuel stations must install charging units during license renewals.
The cabinet has endorsed the provision prepared by the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation (MoEWRI), sending it to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) for implementation.
Interestingly, the report by the MoEWRI task force led by Joint Secretary Madhu Prasad Bhetuwal shows that current petrol pumps don’t have enough space to operate charging stations, which is a major obstacle to developing electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Insufficient charging stations continue to be a major hurdle while adopting EVs.
According to reports, there are around 10,000 EVs on the road across the country. However, there are only 150 functional charging stations to address those needs.
Despite the lack of charging stations, there is a substantial increase in EV adoption.
Based on Department of Customs records, Nepal imported 3675 four-wheeler EVs (cars, veeps, and vans) worth Rs. 9.02 billion in the first five months of the current fiscal year.
It is a drastic increase when compared to 1353 EVs imported in the last fiscal year.
To promote the adoption of EVs, the government plans to lease public land to the private sector for charging stations and encourage government bodies to use EVs.
