MG Motor, BPCL in JV to boost EV charging infrastructure

Automaker MG Motor India on Monday said it has partnered with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to bolster EV charging infrastructure across the country.

The partnership with BPCL will add momentum to EV adoption by expanding opportunities for intercity travel as the two entities will install EV chargers across highways and within cities, the automaker said in a statement.

With BPCL's vast customer reach and operations and MG's strides in the EV space, the two entities can combine expertise to strategically identify charging sites, garner consumer insights, devise loyalty programs, and create technology to manage charging systems, it added.

"Our partnership with BPCL is yet another step to strengthening the EV charging infrastructure in India to energise and enhance customer confidence in EVs," MG Motor India president and managing director Rajeev Chaba said.

BPCL's strong presence and vast network in India will ensure that existing and prospective customers across the country have convenient access to charging solutions, he added.

"We aim to further expand the opportunities of charging an EV and educate consumers on the environmental benefits of the same," Chaba noted.

Commenting on the initiative, BPCL chairman and managing director Arun Kumar Singh, said sustainable consumption is the present and future, as the country moves into the era of mass electric mobility.

"As we herald the phase of rapid energy transition to electric mobility, BPCL is at the forefront of addressing the three big anxieties amongst electric vehicle owners (range anxiety, time anxiety, and discovery anxiety) in order to build consumer confidence for the accelerated adoption of electric vehicles in the country," he added.

BPCL is setting up fast charging corridors across major highways in the country, inter-connecting major cities, and economic centres, and will have a network of 7,000 conveniently located fast charging stations in the country in the next 2-3 years, Singh said.

These fast charging stations will come with a host of customer amenities viz, hygienic washrooms, refreshments, microATMs, etc, he added.

"This era calls for strategic cross-industry collaboration to reach new and important milestones in the EV charging ecosystem and at BPCL, we are excited to expand our ambit and create positive synergies with innovative brands like MG Motor India to usher in the era of best-in-class EV charging solutions," Singh stated.

MG Motor India had recently announced a new venture, "MG Charge".

Under this initiative, the carmaker is slated to install 1,000 AC fast chargers at residential localities across India.

The connected AC charging stations will cater to the residents and visitors of these societies for their EV charging needs, operating round the clock.