Magenta Power, one of the leading service providers of renewable energy solutions in association with Exicom, has installed India’s first solar charging station (DC fast charger) for electric vehicles in Turbhe, Mumbai.
The ‘Magenta Charging Station – 3’ will cater to electric four-wheelers and will enable EV users to charge their vehicles safely and conveniently. The company states that the grid-connected charging station is powered by solar energy, which in turn makes the entire ecosystem totally free of fossil fuel. It states that by reducing the carbon emissions to zero, it is the right solution for an eco-friendly environment.
The charger was unveiled by Ganesh Naik, former environment minister for Maharashtra and in the presence of Suhas Joshi, Exicom’s SBU head for eMobility and charging infrastructure business. Magenta demonstrated the entire setup on a Mahindra e2o plus vehicle.
During the media interaction, Suhas revealed that the fast charger provides 15 kW supply that would take approximately 90 minutes for e2o plus to charge completely. He has assured that with more advancements in the electric vehicle technology, the fast charging capabilities would also improve. Exicom has even announced that they would have 1,500 conventional charging stations across the country in the next three months.
The solar charging infrastructure is currently placed in Lifon industrial facility at Turbhe, where it is placed on a rent-free basis. Officials at Magenta Power have clarified that it would cost around Rs 15-20 lakh to set it up on lease and this excludes the real estate cost.
Speaking at the event Maxson Lewis, CEO, Magenta Power, said, “We are very proud to set up our first solar-based electric vehicle charging station in Navi Mumbai. It is also India’s first solar-based EV charging station. Solar panels and electric vehicles are the perfect match that will certainly play a key role in the energy systems of the next 25 years. As the nation moves towards clean and affordable power for all, it is our attempt to provide customers with the best solutions for a greener tomorrow.”
Maxson feels that there needs to be a certain kind of policy on quality parameters in setting up EV charging infrastructures in public or private domains. Magenta has not revealed any price structure for the Turbhe unit, but has stated that EV owners could use it for free for the coming few days.
The company states that it has aggressive plans in the EV space and will set up 100 charging stations at various locations in Mumbai and is already in discussions with various stakeholders like Mahindra Electric, Tata Motors and Electrotherm (Yobykes).
Magenta Power is going to showcase a similar infrastructure for the two-wheelers as well in the coming days.
(Photography by Arjun Nair)