Sri Lanka Urges EV Owners to Avoid Night Charging Amid Energy Crisis

Sri Lanka has urged electric vehicle (EV) users not to charge their vehicles at night as the energy crisis deepens. This appeal comes as the rising electricity demand puts pressure on the country's power system.

Addressing the nation, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that when many EV users charge their vehicles after returning home at night, it adds approximately 300 megawatts of extra demand to the grid. According to him, this creates an imbalance in electricity supply, necessitating the operation of all available generation sources.

At night, Sri Lanka generates about 900 megawatts from coal and 1,000 megawatts from diesel. It is acknowledged that these are not environmentally friendly alternatives. This situation appears to contradict the perception of EVs as a symbol of clean energy.

The government states that despite sufficient solar energy production in the country, the surplus energy generated during the day cannot be stored due to the lack of a large-scale battery storage system. Therefore, President Dissanayake urged citizens to utilize solar energy and charge their vehicles during the daytime. Furthermore, plans are underway to implement a tariff system soon to control nighttime charging.

The number of electric vehicles in Sri Lanka has been increasing rapidly recently. Following the removal of the five-year vehicle import ban in February last year, more than 10 percent of the imported vehicles were fully electric.

The energy crisis caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East has further impacted Sri Lanka. The government has initiated rationing to control fuel shortages and has also implemented a four-day work week to save fuel.

President Dissanayake informed that two shipments of 90,000 metric tons of crude oil could not be received due to the war. He also mentioned that discussions are ongoing with friendly nations like India and Russia for refined petroleum products.

As a result of the energy-saving campaign, the country's roads appeared unusually deserted on Wednesday, and there was less crowding at train and bus stations as schools, government offices, and banks remained closed.