State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters Hero MotoCorp have collaborated to set set up charging infrastructure for two-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs) across the country, the firms said Tuesday.
"In the first phase, charging stations will be set up 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," according to a company statement.
The two firms will first set up a substantial charging infrastructure at BPCL's existing petrol pumps and may subsequently broaden the collaboration to develop more synergies within the EV ecosystem and adjacent business verticals.
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BPCL had in September last year announced that it is converting 7,000 conventional petrol pumps into energy stations providing multiple fuelling options, which will include an EV charging facility also, in the medium to long term.
Aligned with its vision to 'Be the Future of Mobility' and with its aim to drive the growth of EVs, Hero MotoCorp has become the first automotive OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to tie up with the leading public sector undertaking (PSU) to set up charging infrastructure across the length and breadth of India.
Hero MotoCorp will soon commence the infrastructure development in the two cities. 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 statement said.
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"The entire user charging experience will be controlled by a Hero MotoCorp Mobile-App and will be a cashless transaction model," it said. "The massive Bharat Petroleum energy station network will also provide accelerated opportunities to expand the scope of operations and services. The companies may utilise the gateways created to make additional investments into building a robust EV ecosystem."
Excited about the collaboration, Arun Kumar Singh, chairman and managing director of BPCL, said his company has been a pioneer in providing innovative mobility-related solutions to consumers in the field of energy.
"Our 'Pure for Sure' customer promise launched at the turn of the century brought in a whole new paradigm in consumer trust and transparency at the point of sale and our expansive digital embrace has added new dimensions in convenience and personalization thereby enriching our customer engagement processes," he said.
Stepping into the exciting phase of the energy transition, BPCL will continue to be at the forefront of accelerating the spread of clean energy in the country and will be creating a network of 7,000 energy stations across the country with EV charging leading the endeavour, he said.
India's personal mobility is primarily driven by two-wheelers that form the largest part of BPCL's customer base. Also, the two-wheeler segment has been the early adopters of electric two-wheelers.
"Our alliance with Hero MotoCorp, a global leader in the two-wheeler industry and with a fine penchant for innovation, is, therefore, a strategic step towards ushering in an era of best-in-class EV charging solutions for our customers in our energy stations and an exciting future of innovative solutions in the EV sector," Singh said.
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On the collaboration, Pawan Munjal, chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, said: "Hero MotoCorp has always been at the forefront of propelling the industry and leading it into the future. Once again, as the automotive and mobility sectors are poised to evolve, we are taking strategic steps to lead this evolution."
He added that through endeavours towards both organic and inorganic business expansion, the company is poised to accelerate the growth of emerging mobility trends.
In addition to developing world-class and tech-driven sustainable emerging mobility solutions, Hero is also making significant efforts towards building a robust EV ecosystem and offering the most advanced services to customers. "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," he added.
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