Hero MotoCorp, Bharat Petroleum to set up EV charging infrastructure across India

Hero MotoCorp the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer based in India and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), a leading Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) and one of the premier integrated energy companies in India have joined hands to set up EV charging infrastructure for electric two-wheelers (e-2Ws) across the country.

With the announcement made on Tuesday, Hero MotoCorp said, it has become the first automotive OEM to tie up with the leading PSU to set up EV charging infrastructure across the length and breadth of India.

"Sustainability has been a key pillar of growth within the Hero MotoCorp global ecosystem. Now, with our Vision 'Be the Future of Mobility' we are aggressively advancing our initiatives towards the technologies and solutions that will empower all individuals, societies, and industries to contribute towards the planet's environmental targets," said Pawan Munjal, Chairman, and CEO of Hero MotoCorp.

The two entities are expected to first establish a large-scale EV charging infrastructure at the existing nationwide energy station network and may subsequently broaden their partnership to develop cooperation within the EV ecosystem and adjacent business verticals.

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. Hero MotoCorp is expected to soon commence the development of EV infrastructure 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-wheeler EVs. The entire user charging experience will be controlled by a Hero MotoCorp Mobile-App and will be a cashless transaction mode.

"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," commented Arun Kumar Singh Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

As a part of the collaboration BPCL will be converting 7,000 conventional retail outlets into 'Energy Stations' providing multiple fueling options, including EV charging facility in the medium to long term.

Mr. Singh noted the "alliance with Hero MotoCorp is 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".