Haryana proposes mandatory EV charging infra for new buildings

Haryana's Town and Country Planning Department has proposed amendments to the state's Building Code, 2017, mandating EV-ready parking across new residential and commercial projects. All new and renovated buildings should be equipped with electrical conduits and wiring infrastructure to support EV charging across parking spaces, the draft, currently open for public consultation, states. If approved, the rules will require developers to plan for charging infrastructure at the planning stage itself, instead of adding it later.

1. Draft allows EV chargers in basement and stilt parking areas, if fire safety norms are met 
2. Commercial buildings should have at least 1 EV charger for every 3 parking spots
3. Floor area ratio calculations to exclude charging infra, it added

The draft goes beyond just basic readiness. Commercial buildings such as offices, malls and hotels would need at least one charging point for every three parking spaces. In residential and group housing projects, the requirement would be one charging point for every five parking spaces. The draft also allows EV chargers in basement and stilt parking areas, as long as fire safety norms are met. To make compliance easier, EV charging infrastructure would also be kept outside floor area ratio calculations. The norms are expected to extend across a wide range of developments, including group housing societies, IT parks and large commercial complexes.

Akshit Bansal, founder and CEO, Statiq, said, "We welcome the Haryana Department of Town and Country Planning's (DTCP) proposed amendments to the Haryana Building Code 2017, enabling electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in basements and across residential/commercial projects statewide, as outlined in this week's DTCP notice."

The move shows a shift in focus from vehicle-side incentives to charging access at homes and workplaces. The proposed changes support future EV adoption by building charging support into new projects right from the start.

With inputs from Mukul Yudhveer Singh.