New Delhi,Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. (TPEM), a subsidiary of Tata Motors, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to deploy 7,000 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points across India by 2024. This strategic collaboration aims to bolster the EV charging infrastructure in the country.
The locations for these EV charging points will be determined based on insights gathered from over 1.15 lakh Tata EV users on Indian roads and leveraging BPCL’s extensive fuel station network. The collaboration addresses the growing need for a reliable and widespread EV charging infrastructure to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in India.
Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., emphasized the pivotal role of robust charging infrastructure in catalyzing EV adoption, especially in combating air pollution.
The agreement entails the installation of EV charging points at 7,000 out of BPCL’s approximately 21,000 fuel stations across India, strategically targeting Tata EV users. TPEM holds a substantial market share of over 71% in electric passenger vehicles in the country.
Santosh Kumar, Executive Director In charge of Retail at BPCL, highlighted the company’s commitment to converting a significant number of conventional retail outlets into energy stations, aligning with a comprehensive decarbonization strategy to support sustainable initiatives.
As part of the collaboration, BPCL and Tata Motors are also exploring the introduction of a convenient payment system through a co-branded RFID card, simplifying the payment process for Tata EV users.
BPCL has taken proactive steps in advancing EV infrastructure by initiating over 90 Electric Vehicle charging highway corridors across the country, ensuring a fast-charging station approximately every 100 kilometers on major highways.
India, aiming for a sustainable and zero-emission future, faces the challenge of establishing a minimum of 1.32 million charging stations by 2030, according to a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on ‘Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicle.’ The collaboration between BPCL and TPEM aligns with the broader national effort to enhance the charging infrastructure and promote electric mobility.
