Tata Electric, HPCL partner to establish public EV charging stations in India

India's largest e-car manufacturer Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM) has signed an MOU with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) to collaborate on establishing public charging stations across India.

Leveraging HPCL's widespread fuel station network and TPEM's insights from over 1.2 lakh Tata EVs on Indian roads, the partnership aims to set up chargers at locations frequently visited by Tata EV owners. Additionally, HPCL will gather insights on charger usage to improve the customer experience.

The MoU also aims to explore synergies between the two companies to encourage more people to adopt electric vehicles in the country. The two partners are exploring the introduction of a convenient payment system through a co-branded RFID card, to make the charging experience hassle-free.

Balaje Rajan, Chief Strategy Officer, TPEM and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. said, "As the adoption of EVs increases, the availability of widespread and dependable charging infrastructure will play a crucial role in making EVs mainstream in India". 

"This collaboration is essential for facilitating infrastructure development to support the expanding EV customer base. Leveraging TPEM's extensive insights into EV usage and HPCL's extensive nationwide network, this partnership has the potential to transform the charging infrastructure landscape in the country", he added. 

HPCL boasts a nationwide network of over 21,500 fuel stations at present. To support clean mobility, the oil marketing company aims to install 5,000 EV charging stations by December 2024. The company has already installed a total of 3,050 charging stations, including battery swapping stations in partnership with Honda Power Pack Energy India Private Limited (HEID) and Gogoro, across the country.

"HPCL with its 21000+ fuel stations has entered into an alliance with Tata Motors that commands 68% market share in Indian EV market", commented Debashis Chakraverty, Chief General Manager, Retail Strategy & BD, HPCL. 

"Through this alliance, HPCL shall leverage Tata Motors' vehicle base to enable our strategic expansion in EV Charging infrastructure at places with higher charging demand and will help in reducing range anxiety of EV customers", he added.