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Kerala electricity minister K Krishnankutty told the media that the state government has sped up the implementation of the electric vehicle (EV) policy, as a minimum of 100 EV charging stations will be opened for public use by the end of December this year. Krishnankutty said that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had installed ten new pillar charging stations in Kozhikode for public use, where they can scan and pay using their smartphones. He told the media that KSEB had issued an order to hire only EVs for its official purposes, and the Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) has already handed over 30 EVs to several government departments of the state. ANERT is a state government agency, which operates multiple charging stations across Kerala. The Minister said that the state would establish 100 EV charging stations in Kerala by the end of this year. KSEB has already established pillar charging stations near auto stands in Kozhikode and ten locations within the city. The payment will be done through a mobile application and self-charge the EV. Two vehicles can be charged in one station. Kozhikode has the most number of e-auto rickshaws to promote the Electricity Board to take up its pilot project of charging pillars in Kerala. The pillar charging station requires less space, just like an electricity pole, which can be very effective. The pillar can revolutionise the EV scenario in Kerala. KSEB plans to grow outside Kozhikode city soon. According to a KSEB official, customers will have to pay Rs 15 per unit, while the rates will increase to Rs 22 per unit in other states. Recently, KSEB has had six EV charging stations in Kerala. The official said that KSEB would soon open 36 more charging stations, and ANERT would open 20 more EV charging stations this financial year. Looking at the need for EV charging stations and to promote EVs, KSEB has planned to allow private entrepreneurs to operate the same. However, if a private player installs an EV charging station, he will pay Rs 5 per unit to KSEB. According to the EV policy of the state, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the state-run road transport corporation have decided to transition their entire fleet of more than 6,000 buses to EVs by 2025. There are electric charging stations within major KSRTC bus depots. Image SourceAlso read: Govt asks Coal India to expand into electric vehicle business Also read: ABB Group launches superfast Terra 360 modular charger