Maharashtra Government Issues Guidelines On Charging Electric Vehicles

These new SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) emphasise on improved safety while charging EVs

The Government of Maharashtra issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for electric vehicle charging stations to mitigate the risk of fires. It has mandated EV charging stations to be installed in open areas to minimise risk of fire spread.

Additionally, under this new SOP, electric two-wheeler owners are now barred from bringing their vehicles indoors for charging. This move by the government comes in response to rising cases of electric scooters and electric bikes bursting into flames, especially while being charged. 

Also, the government has now mandates for DC fast chargers to also be clearly differentiated from conventional ones, by installing prominent notices at each charging point indicating if it is suitable for AC or DC charging. This ensures EVs are charged only with the relevant charging system.

The SOP also dictates for charging points to be installed in open air at the roof deck level in multi-storey parking lots to minimise risk of fire spread. It also states that charging points shall be within five metres from parked vehicles to prevent stretching of charging cables and at least 80cm above ground so that there’s minimal risk of short-circuiting during floods. It also prohibits parking of other vehicles in EV charging areas.

The government also stipulates that EVs should not be charged within a radius of 10m of any combustible material, or a radius of 15m within hazardous installations such as transformers, flammable liquid storage tanks and LPG tanks. The SOP also suggests that fire detection, alarm and control systems installed at charging stations shall be as per Indian safety standards.

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This SOP will go a long way to mitigate the risk of fires, especially considering the fluctuations and sub-standard charging outlets prevalent across the country. With the central government also invoking numerous electric vehicle battery safety norms upon EV manufacturers, it is imperative for state governments to also take charge to ensure maximum safety during charging of electric vehicles. With the Maharashtra government leading the charge (pardon the pun), we hope other state governments also follow suit.