Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, have singed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish public charging stations across India.
The two companies are also exploring the possibility of introducing a convenient payment system through a co-branded RFID card, making payment easier for Tata EV users and to encourage more people to adopt electric vehicles in the country.
The collaboration will leverage BPCL's fuel stations network and TPEM's insights from over 1.15 lakh Tata electric vehicles on Indian roads, to establish chargers at locations frequently visited by Tata EV owners. Additionally, BPCL will gather insights on charger usage to improve customer experience.
BPCL aims to install 7,000 electric vehicle charging stations by next year.
Santosh Kumar, Executive Director In charge Retail, BPCL said, “BPCL is steadily moving closer to the goal to converting 7000 of our conventional retail outlets into energy stations which is a part of a comprehensive decarbonization strategy to support and prioritize sustainable initiatives."
He added that BPCL has already set up a very large network of fast charging stations across highways and partnering with TPEM will augment the growth of EVs.
Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd said, “EV adoption is a key imperative to combat the deteriorating air quality in Indian cities. This collaborative partnership epitomises our shared vision of fostering positive change - and enabling infrastructure for the growing EV customer base. It has the potential to reshape the landscape of charging infrastructure in the country.”
TPEM is the market leader in EVs in India, commanding a market share of over 71% in electric passenger vehicles, the press release noted.
Case studies from across the world show that ubiquitous and convenient charging infrastructure is a prerequisite for driving EV adoption, and that growth in charging infrastructure results in an exponential growth in EV adoption.