EVI Technologies signs MoU with BSNL to set up battery swapping stations across India

Delhi-based start-up EVI Technologies (EVIT), one of the fastest growing electric vehicle charging solutions infrastructure companies in India, has signed a 10-year MoU with telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) to install battery swapping and EV charging stations in 5,000 locations of BSNL, covering major cities, state and national highways.

EVI Technologies was founded in June 2017 and incubated by Electropreneur Park (funded and supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), government of India).

The company says the initiative is going to be an avant-garde project which will have a positive and dominant impact on the nascent EV industry. The partnership is aimed at solving the problem of EV owners by installing 100 battery swapping and six public chargers at each BSNL location.

As part of the agreement, EVIT will make the entire upfront investment on services pertaining to the MoU, along with the operation and maintenance of the battery swapping infrastructure by using qualified personnel. BSNL would be responsible for providing the requisite space and power connections for installing the battery swapping infrastructure.

Speaking on the partnership, Rupesh Kumar, CEO, EVI Technologies said, “We are thrilled to join hands with BSNL for this initiative to help build a conducive ecosystem in supporting e-mobility in India. EVIT believes that building EV charging infrastructure across India is spearhead step under the government’s National eMobility Programme”

“As our country strives towards being 100% electric vehicle nation, a lot of EV customers are left out simply because of less charging infrastructure. Our to-be-developed infrastructure at BSNL will reduce the range anxiety among EV consumers and accelerate the adoption of EVs across India,” added Kumar.

Manoj Kumar Mishra, CGM, BSNL Maharashtra said, “BSNL is committed in developing a strong EV battery swapping and charging stations in India, which is crucial for wider acceptability of electric vehicles among masses. This initiative of EVIT and BSNL will help to promote clean energy and reduce carbon emissions."

EVIT has recently raised funding from Napino Auto & Electronics, one of the largest automotive electronics component manufactures in India for the purpose of company operations. The company is targeting a revenue of over Rs 10 million by December 2020.