NEA switches on 51 charging stations across the country

KATHMANDU: In a significant stride towards sustainable transportation, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) on Wednesday inaugurated 51 fast charging stations across the country.

According to NEA, the charging stations are strategically positioned along major highways in all seven provinces, busparks, and metropolitan hubs, making electric vehicle (EV) charging more accessible to the public.

Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, and Secretary Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, jointly inaugurated a charging station installed on the premises of the Nepal Police Club in Bhrikuti Mandap.

The charging stations were installed under the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Development Project by mobilizing NEA’s investment as well as concessional loans from the Asian Development Bank, and technical assistance from the Norwegian government. The project cost approximately Rs 400 million.

Among the 51 charging points, 26 are equipped to charge a variety of vehicles, including big buses, microbuses, trucks, pickups, and cars, while the remaining 25 stations are suitable for both big and small cars.

Speaking on the occasion, NEA’s Executive Director Kulman Ghising said that NEA plans to install an additional 500 charging stations across the country.

According to NEA, it was levying charging fee of 70 paisa per kilometer for cars, 80 paisa for SUVs, 90 paisa for microbuses, and Rs 1.20 for buses. Each charging station boasts a 142-kilowatt capacity charger, a 50 kVA transformer for power supply, and an online billing system.

All 51 stations will be monitored and controlled from Kathmandu, offering convenient payment options through QR codes and mobile apps after charging a vehicle, according to NEA.