If you are a resident of Kerala intending to purchase an electric vehicle to reduce expenses, this news might be unexpected for you. According to a new regulation, charging your electric vehicle at night will now incur higher costs. The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission has released new rules updating the Time of Day (ToD) billing for electric vehicles, which means that charging at night will be 30 percent more expensive.

Nighttime EV Charging: Solar vs. Non-Solar Times

The state electricity regulatory commission has categorized the charging activity into two time slots. The first time slot, referred to as the ‘solar period,’ takes place from 9 am to 4 pm. EV users utilizing state charging during this solar period will be charged at 30 percent less than the standard rates. Conversely, if you charge your EV between 4 pm and 9 am, known as the ‘non-solar period,’ you will incur an additional 30 percent charge on the standard tariff rate. Please note, these tariff changes apply to charging stations and not to home chargers.

The regulatory commission opted to modify the charges after new guidelines regarding the operation of EV charging stations were issued by the central government. Currently, Kerala operates three zones for ToD billing: from 6 am to 6 pm, 6 pm to 10 pm, and finally, 10 pm to 6 am. This structure will be amended to two zones in the future.

If you were to pay ₹100 to charge the vehicle at standard rates, it would only cost ₹70 during the solar period, a 30 percent reduction. Conversely, charging an EV at night will incur a 30 percent premium, costing ₹130 over the standard tariff rate during the non-solar period.

Avoid charging overnight

This initiative aims to discourage nighttime charging and promote use during the solar period, which will exert less strain on the grid overall. Currently, charging stations utilizing solar energy function most efficiently during the daytime, generating maximum power from 9 am to 4 pm. However, if this power is not used, it is effectively wasted, as only 53 percent of the power is supplied to the grid between 4 pm and 9 am.

While this initiative seeks to promote charging during the day, it is important to acknowledge that most users typically drive or ride their EVs during daylight hours and leave them for charging at night. Nonetheless, those with adaptable charging schedules will be able to take full advantage of the solar period discount, further reducing their EV operating expenses. It will be intriguing to observe whether this initiative proves to be successful for the state. Simultaneously, it could prompt other states to implement similar regulations.

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