In a major fillip to electric mobility in India, Hero MotoCorp and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) have joined forces to set up charging infrastructure for two-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs) across the country.
Hero MotoCorp is the first automotive OEM to tie up with the leading Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to set up charging infrastructure across the country.
BPCL, which has committed itself to setting up 7,000 EV charging stations across the country, has started rolling out fast chargers at its fuel stations, and in the process is converting them into energy stations providing multiple fueling options.
The two companies will first establish a substantial charging infrastructure at BPCL's existing nationwide energy station network and subsequently may broaden their collaboration across the EV ecosystem.
Having conveniently located EV charging stations will further speed up the adoption of electric vehicles in the country.
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Charging stations in 9 cities, to start off
In the first phase, Hero MotoCorp and BPCL will set up charging stations across nine cities starting with Delhi and Bengaluru. The network will be then expanded across the country with the aim to establish a high density of charging stations.
Each charging station will feature multiple charging points including DC and AC chargers and will be available for use to all two-wheeled EVs. The entire user charging experience will be controlled by a Hero MotoCorp Mobile-App and will be a cashless transaction model.
The Bharat Petroleum energy station network will also provide accelerated opportunities to expand the scope of operations and services. The companies may utilize the gateways created to make additional investments into building a robust EV ecosystem, a statement from the two companies said.
"The partnership with BPCL, which is already at the forefront of customer energy solutions, will be beneficial for both the EV segment and customers. This collaboration will also unlock opportunities for asset allocation and expansion in the future,” said Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO, Hero MotoCorp.
As India’s personal mobility is primarily driven by two-wheelers, this enhancement of charging infrastructure for 2-wheelers EVs bodes well for their easier acceptance in the market.
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