Amazon, Uber to invest in EV charging station project in Bengaluru

Global Optimism co-founded "The Climate Pledge" is going to receive investments of $2.65 million for its new shared  EV charging station project "JOULE (Joint Operation Unifying Last-mile Electrification)" in Bengaluru from companies such as Amazon, Mahindra Logistics, Uber, HCLTech and Magenta Mobility.

By 2030, the project is expected to save over 11.2 million litres of fuel, preventing around 25,700 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions. The project is likely to match 6.2 megawatt of renewable energy capacity with 22,700 megawatt-hours of electricity used by the charging stations. Moreover, the project is estimated to create185 full-time jobs in the city in the same period.

Based on the increase in demand, the project is estimated to support around 5,500 EVs in Bengaluru by 2030, while holding enough capacity to provide services to about 9,500 EVs. As of now, Bengaluru's first EV charging station in Doddakallasandra is meeting people's demand for daily EV charging, encouraging the construction of five more charging stations by this year's end.

Sally Fouts, Global Leader, The Climate Pledge, said the move will support India’s transition to electric vehicles, including Bengaluru’s goal of having 100% EVs for three-wheelers, cab services, and corporate fleets by 2030.

“We’re proud to be part of The Climate Pledge's initiative to build new charging stations. JOULE advances our goal of deploying 10,000 EVs in India by 2025. With over 7,300 EVs in our India operations so far, we’re on track to achieve this and remain committed to collaborating with manufacturers, delivery service providers, and others to scale EV adoption,” said Abhinav Singh, VP of Operations at Amazon India.
 
The government of Karnataka has also supported this step, tapping the power of public-private partnerships to drive India towards a more sustainable future. 

India-based EV charging platform Kazam will play a major role in building the charging station network. The project will also be supported by renewable energy provider Greenko and strategic consulting partner Deloitte.