Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), the joint venture between four national PSUs under the Ministry of Power, government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL), the state-owned telecommunications company for the installation of public charging stations to boost e-mobility adoption across India.

Under the partnership, EESL will set up public charging stations in 1,000 BSNL sites in a phased manner across India. EESL will make the entire upfront investment on the services pertaining to the MoU, along with the operation and maintenance of the charging infrastructure by using qualified personnel. BSNL would be responsible for providing the requisite space and power connections for installing the charging infrastructure. This comes in addition to EESL’s recent open tender to procure 1,000 long-range electric sedans.

Commenting on the announcement, Saurabh Kumar, MD, EESL said, “Building a strong supporting EV infrastructure is key to cultivating consumer confidence in electric vehicles and would significantly enhance consumer convenience and reduce the range anxiety as well. EESL is leading the initiatives to promote EV adoption in India under its National E-mobility Programme. We are glad to partner with BSNL for synergistic action on setting up public charging infrastructure and services across India.”

As part of its efforts towards the National Electric Mobility Programme, EESL has commissioned 300 AC and 170 DC chargers across India. At present around 66 public charging points are operational in Delhi NCR.
In addition to the new announcement, EESL has also signed MoU/Agreement with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Noida Authority, Chennai Metro Rail Corporation (CMRCL), Jaipur Metro Rail Corporation (JMRCL), Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Commissioner, Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA), New Town Kolkata Development Authority and Kalinga University Raipur (Chhattisgarh) for development of Public Charging Stations (PCS) in their respective areas.

As part of its strategic model of demand aggregation and bulk procurement, EESL receives electric vehicles and chargers at a significantly discounted rate compared to the actual market value. Further, with access to low-cost funds, it is able to discover the most competitive project costs. Using this approach, EESL has established a sustainable business model, which makes EVs affordable for the end-consumers.