BPCL, Hero enter partnership to set up 2-wheeler EV charging infra in India

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Hero MotoCorp, the country's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, announced a partnership with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to provide charging infrastructure for two-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs) across the country.

Last year, BPCL had announced that it is converting 7,000 conventional retail outlets into energy stations providing multiple fuelling options, which will include an EV charging facility also, in the medium to long term.

As part of the collaboration, the two entities will first establish a substantial charging infrastructure at the existing nationwide energy station network. Subsequently, they may broaden the collaboration to develop more synergies within the EV ecosystem and adjacent business verticals, thereby enabling prospects throughout the customer life cycle.

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.

"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," Hero MotoCorp Chairman and CEO Pawan Munjal said in a statement.

BPCL Chairman and Managing Director Arun Kumar Singh said, "India's personal mobility is primarily driven by two-wheelers who form the largest part of the valued customer base."

"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," he stated.

"Hero MotoCorp said it would 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," it added.

The company stated that the entire user charging experience will be controlled by a Hero MotoCorp Mobile-App and will be a cashless transaction model. 

With inputs from PTI