Kerala will become the first State in the country to deploy electric vehicles (EVs) for enforcement activities. The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has placed orders for ‘plug-in electric vehicles’ for 65 Enforcement Squads of the Safe Kerala project for enforcing motor vehicles rules and to ensure road discipline.
The government has opted for 65 Tata Nexon EVs for eight years by payment of upfront cost. The EVs are being dry-leased (car without chauffeurs) from the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a Central government institution under the Ministry of Power, through the Agency for Non -Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT).
An EV-charging network will also come up in the State with charging stations set up in the 65 offices of the Enforcement Squads. The government is yet to take a call on making available the charging stations to the public using EVs and on roping in home guards as drivers for the EVs to be procured by the MVD. The maintenance of the 65 EVs will be taken care of by the EESL.
Nexon EV is equipped with a powerful and high-efficiency 129 PS permanent-magnet AC motor powered by a high capacity 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. The motor produces 245 Nm of instant torque from a standstill, enabling Nexon EV to accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just 9.9 seconds.
The SUV can run upto 312 km on a single charge. When plugged into a Fast DC Charger, Tata Nexon EV’s battery can be charged up to 80 per cent in 60 minutes. In addition, the Nexon EV can be charged from any 15 amp plug point.
The variant of the Nexon EV being procured is not yet known but will be customized for enforcement activities and all gadgets for monitoring motor vehicles like speed radars will be installed in it. In addition to the driver, there will be one MVD officer during daytime and two at night in these vehicles that will be on the roads round the clock.
The MVD is the first to go for bulk EVs in the State as per the government decision not to purchase new vehicles.
Source: The Hindu