The initiative is to make EVs viable on campus by letting the drivers (faculty members and students) know that they will be able to charge the ride with ease.
‘We decided to come up with EV charging stations to encourage our students and faculty members to use EVs. The Electric Vehicle industry is booming, and we are witnessing a greater number of EVs around us. Ather Energy is one such example of EV company that has come up with quick and smart E scooters in India in a big way. OLA is planning to launch electric scooter soon. Moreover, as per a report, by the end of 2025, over 35% to 40% of the vehicles on the road will be EVs. This trend is being notices among our students and faculty members too. There is an increase in awareness about the adverse impact of fossil-fuel based vehicles on the environment. To add to that, the depleting fossil fuel reserves will soon create energy crisis if we do not make the shift to EVs operating on green energy faster,’ said Dr. S. Y. Kulkarni, Additional Director, BNMIT.
The charging kiosk will be assisted by an IoT-based application, which will notify the vehicle owner once the vehicle is fully charged.
‘We are integrating a smart automation technology with the station to monitor and control it remotely. With this application, a student can attend lectures while his EV is plugged at the station. Once the vehicle is fully charged, the application will notify the student to make space for other vehicles,’ said Kruthi Jayaram, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), BNMIT.
The system also has a battery storage facility that will enable charging even on cloudy days.
‘We have taken an intelligent energy management approach. The charging station is battery-buffered, which will enable users to charge their vehicles on overcast days and at nights too,’ said Dr. Venkatesha K., Professor, EEE, BNMIT.
The project is jointly funded by The NewGen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (NewGen IEDC), Government of India and BNMIT management.
No dearth of takers at campus
With over 15 EVs already being used on campus, the technology has truly caught the imaginations of BNMITians. Many are waiting to have the kiosk up and running.
‘With fuel price and environment pollution both skyrocketing, EVs are the thing of the future. I am looking forward to the charging station at the campus and have already booked an EV. I live in an apartment and having a charging station in an apartment setting that you can use at your convenience is next to impossible. The kiosk at the BNMIT campus will be my charging point,’ says Sujith T., Assistant Professor, EEE, BNMIT.
