Bescom to Launch Rooftop-Enabled Used Battery Backed EV Charging Station

Bescom is preparing to launch the first rooftop-enabled second-life battery-backed EV-charging station in the country, paving the way for sustainable handling of used electric vehicle (EV) batteries. This pilot project, located near Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), is expected to be operational by the end of September.

The station will have the capacity to charge 23 electric vehicles at a rate of 400 kW, providing fast and regular charging options. It will be positioned near the KIA parking area. It will be self-sufficient, generating and storing its own power during the day using second-life batteries to charge vehicles at night. Constructed at a cost of INR 4 crore, the system will utilize net metering to feed unused power into Bescom’s grid.

“It is an innovative project in the e-mobility sector and will be the first of its kind with a commercial application of second-life batteries. With 81 solar panels, the station will generate about 160 kWh of power per day. Once generated, it will be stored in batteries and transmitted to charging through inverters . If there are no vehicles, the generated power will be fed to the grid. As Bengaluru is witnessing a surge in EV usage, energy minister KJ George has been very particular about creating charging infrastructure and as per his guidance, this solar energy station has been planned,” said Mahantesh Bilagi, MD of Bescom.

Configuration of EV Charging Station

The plant is being constructed on a 560 square meter area near the main road, adjacent to Bescom’s 224 kV sub-station. It will be equipped with five combined charging systems (CCS-2), each with a capacity of 50 kW, along with four DC-001 chargers with a capacity of 30 kW, and two type-2 chargers with a capacity of 7.5 kW. Additionally, there will be one AC-001 type charger with a capacity of 3.3 kW. Vijay Rao, AGM of Bescom, provided this information.

The pilot project carried out in partnership with the government of India, GIZ India, Bosch, and Nunam. The project aims to enhance the charging infrastructure capacity managed by Bescom. Bescom currently leads the country with 5,765 public EV charging stations, with Bengaluru Urban accounting for 4,462 of these stations.

The EV charging facility is accessible through the EV Mitra app, which can be downloaded on mobile devices. A Bescom engineer mentioned that DC charging will be priced at INR 7.56 per unit, while AC charging will cost INR 7.76 per unit.