EV charging infra: Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), a pioneer in India's electric vehicle revolution, has signed an MOU with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) to collaborate in establishing public charging stations across India. 

The collaboration will leverage HPCL's widespread fuel station network and TPEM's insights from over 1.2 lakh Tata EVs on Indian roads, to set up chargers at locations frequently visited by Tata EV owners, said a company release. Additionally, HPCL will gather insights on charger usage to improve the customer experience, it added. 

“In an effort to improve the experience of electric vehicle owners across India, this agreement between TPEM and HPCL aims to explore synergies between the two companies to encourage more people to adopt electric vehicles in the country,” said the statement. 

The two companies are also exploring the introduction of a convenient payment system through a co-branded RFID card, which will make the charging experience hassle-free, it added.  

While TPEM is the market leader of EVs in India, with a market share of over 68 per cent  in electric passenger vehicles, HPCL holds a nationwide network of over 21,500 fuel stations and is committed to a sustainable future. 
Furthermore, HPCL aims to install 5,000 electric vehicle charging stations by December 2024. With four products in its portfolio, TPEM has led the rise of the EV ecosystem in the country, right from introducing its first EV exclusive store in Gurugram to working with various charge point operators to grow India’s charging infrastructure. On the other side, HPCL has installed a total of 3,050 EV charging stations, including battery swapping stations, across the country, the statement added. 

Commenting on this partnership, Balaje Rajan, Chief Strategy Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles said, “With an increasing adoption of EVs, the availability of widespread and dependable charging infrastructure will play a crucial role in making EVs mainstream in India”. 

“This strategic partnership with HPCL emphasises our dedication to advancing India's EV ecosystem in which the growth of charging infrastructure plays a pivotal role,” said the statement, adding that this collaboration is essential for facilitating infrastructure development to support the expanding EV customer base. 

“Leveraging TPEM's extensive insights into EV usage and HPCL's extensive nationwide network, this partnership has the potential to transform the charging infrastructure landscape in the country,” said the statement. 

According to Debashis Chakraverty, Chief General Manager, Retail Strategy & BD, HPCL, “HPCL with its 21000+ fuel stations has entered into an alliance with Tata Motors that commands 68 per cet market share in Indian EV market. Through this alliance, HPCL shall leverage Tata Motors’ vehicle base to enable our strategic expansion in EV Charging infrastructure at places with higher charging demand and will help in reducing range anxiety of EV customers”

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 exponential growth in EV adoption as well. To that effect, the collaboration between two leading companies in this space is sure to help catapult India’s EV growth to its next phase.