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Hero MotoCorp has collaborated with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to set up charging infrastructure for two-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs) across the country.
This is first such collaboration between an automotive OEM with an oil sector Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to set up charging infrastructure in the country.
As part of its focus on new business segments for sustainable growth, Bharat Petroleum in September 2021 announced that it is converting 7,000 conventional Retail Outlets into Energy Stations providing multiple fueling options, which will include EV charging facility also, in the medium to long term.
The two entities will first establish a substantial charging infrastructure at the existing nationwide energy station network and subsequently may broaden the collaboration to develop more synergies within the EV ecosystem and adjacent business verticals, thereby enabling prospects throughout the customer life cycle.
“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," Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO, Hero MotoCorp said.
“India’s personal mobility is primarily driven by two-wheelers who form the largest part of our valued customer base and the two-wheeler segment has been the early adopters of electric two wheelers. Our alliance with Hero MotoCorp is therefore an extremely 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," Arun Kumar Singh
Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. said.
In the first phase of collaboration between the two entities, 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.
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 entire user charging experience will be controlled by a Hero MotoCorp Mobile-App and will be a cashless transaction model.
The Bharat Petroleum energy station network will also provide accelerated opportunities to expand the scope of operations and services. The companies may utilize the gateways created to make additional investments into building a robust EV ecosystem.
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