Maharashtra: MSEDCL to ready its electric vehicle charger network app 'in just a few weeks'

PUNE: The director of projects at the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), Prasad Reshme, said during an electric vehicle and allied infrastructure summit in the city on Friday that the state power distribution utility's EV charger grid mapping app is close to rollout.
He said original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tier-I suppliers say that a clear vision for mandates in sustainable mobility is required for manufacturers to see returns on investment (RoI).
The summit was organised by the clean mobility platform EMobility+, with hundreds of stakeholders attending, including auto OEMs, supplier of manufacturing and internet of things (IOT) solutions to OEMs and tier-I manufacturers, as well as manufacturers and aggregators of charging stations, both of commercial and domestically deployable varieties.
"We have set up an independent portal for potential charging station operators to apply for a connection for the same, and around 500-550 connections have already been provided by MSEDCL, which is the nodal agency to help deploy charging stations in Maharashtra. In case of any issues, we have also set up a central desk and a toll-free number for any clarifications. We are also rolling out a mobile app that will integrate all chargers in the state, which is almost complete, and it should be ready in a few weeks. I will appeal to all EV charging providers and stations to share that information and be visible on the app, and we shall share that data with the Union government as well, as per the guidelines," said Reshme, as part of a panel on charging infrastructure.
At another panel to discuss the state of developing a sustainable ecosystem for the manufacture of EVs, OEMs and component manufacturers said that despite strides in EV adoption, lack of vision, including the future of demand and supply side incentives as well as changing mandates, are compounding difficulties for them.
Automotive software providers also said that recent incidents of EV breakdowns and fires possibly have to do with inadequate quality control, and the need to get ahead of the market.