Two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp announced on Tuesday that it is working with oil trading company Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to establish charging infrastructure for electric two-wheelers (EVs) across the country.
"In line with its vision to 'be the future of mobility' and its goal to drive the growth of electric vehicles, Hero MotoCorp has become the first automotive OEM to partner with the leading public sector undertaking (PSU) to establish charging infrastructure across the length and breadth of India," Hero MotoCorp said in a statement.
In September last year, BPCL announced that it would convert 7,000 conventional outlets into power stations which will offer multiple refueling options, including the installation of electric vehicle charging, in the medium to long term.
As part of the partnership, the two companies will first establish "substantial charging infrastructure" on the existing national network of power plants, and can then expand the collaboration to develop new synergies within the ecosystem of electric vehicles. and adjacent business verticals, which will open up insights through out the customer life cycle.
In a first phase, charging stations will be installed in nine cities, starting with Delhi and Bangalore. The network will then expand across the country with the aim of establishing a high density of charging stations, according to the release.
"Hero MotoCorp will soon begin infrastructure development in both cities. Each charging station will feature multiple charging points, including DC and AC chargers, and will be available for use on all electric two-wheelers," it added.
The entire user charging experience will be controlled by a Hero MotoCorp mobile app and will be a cashless transaction model.
"Bharat Petroleum's huge network of power stations will also provide accelerated opportunities to expand the reach of operations and services. Companies can use the gateways created to make additional investments in building a robust EV ecosystem," it said.
Commenting on the partnership, Hero MotoCorp President and CEO Pawan Munjal said, "As the automotive and mobility industries are poised to evolve, we are taking strategic steps to lead this evolution. Through our organic and inorganic expansion efforts, we are poised to accelerate the growth of emerging mobility trends."
The partnership with BPCL, which is already at the forefront of energy solutions for customers, will benefit both the electric vehicle segment and customers. This collaboration will also open up opportunities for future asset allocation and expansion, he added.
BPCL CMD Arun Kumar Singh said, "India's personal mobility is primarily driven by two-wheelers which make up the bulk of our valuable customer base and the two-wheeler segment has been an early adopters of electric two wheelers. Our partnership with Hero MotoCorp, a global leader in the two-wheeler industry with a strong penchant for innovation, is therefore an extremely strategic step in ushering in an era of better electric vehicle charging solutions for our customers in our power stations and an exciting future of innovative solutions in the electric vehicle industry."
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