Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a ‘Maharatna’ and a Fortune Global 500 Company announced the launch of Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridor on the Delhi – Jalandhar National Highway with fast charging stations at 12 BPCL retail outlets strategically located along the highway (part of NH-44) as part of its initiative to address the range anxiety of electric vehicle owners.
The 750 Km long segment of NH-44 is the fourth such Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridor in the country, with fast charging stations at roughly every 100 Km on both sides of the highway. Chennai-Trichy-Madurai, Chennai-Bangalore, and Bangalore-Coorg were the first three Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridors set up by BPCL.
The EV fast chargers at BPCL Fuel Stations will help customers recharge their EVs in just about 30 minutes to get a driving range of up to 125 kilometers after which there will be another BPCL EV charging station for EV owners going further ahead. All EV customers will be able to use the EV fast charging stations via a pay-per-use online service. The fast chargers can be self-operated without any manual assistance through support staff will be at hand when needed.
Located at BPCL retail outlets, these EV fast Charging stations offer long-distance and inter-city travelers much-needed safe, well-lit and secure pit stops together with amenities like clean and hygienic washrooms toilets, mATMs, etc for their convenience while their vehicle is being recharged. BPCL has digitized the entire EV charger locator, charger operations, and transaction process through the HelloBPCL app for an online hassle-free and transparent user experience.
Going forward, 200 such Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridors under the brand eDrive which carries the tagline Clean. Fast. Easy will be set up along key National Highways by 31st March 2023 as part of the drive to support and accelerate EV adoption in India.
BPCL also announced the launch of the Integrated Customer Program with MG Motors, a British automotive brand, who have so far sold 8900 electric vehicles in the country which will enable all MG’s EV customers while driving, to locate BPCL EV Charging stations through their car dashboards and fast charge their electric vehicles with specific benefits accorded to MG EV owners at all BPCL EV Charging stations across the country.
Subhankar Sen, Head Retail Initiatives & Brand, BPCL, and Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motors jointly announced the launch of the Integrated Customer Program in an event held in Delhi on 11th February 2023, in the presence of Rajiv Dutta, Head Retail North – BPCL, Mihir Joshi, State Head (Delhi, Haryana, HP & UK)-BPCL and other Senior officers.
Speaking at the launch, Subhankar Sen, Head of Retail Initiatives & Brand, BPCL said, “A cleaner planet is better for everyone and decarbonization is a challenge that requires broad-reaching, multi-faceted solutions and we in BPCL are playing our part by setting up the network of electric vehicle fast charging highway corridors to address the range, discovery and time anxieties of EV owners which we firmly believe will hasten the adoption of Electric Vehicles in the country. Our initiative with MG Motor India in creating a rewarding experience for MG Motor EV customers today is an important initiative under our EV charging strategy and towards our larger objective of achieving our goal of net-zero emissions by 2040. We are excited about our innovative technology integration with MG Motors who have incorporated our EV charging network in their dashboard navigator providing unmatched convenience for MG EV owners. This truly reflects the commitment of both our organizations to bring in cutting-edge technology for the promotion of EV adoption in the country.
Together with MG Motor India, we will be working to improve the EV charging experience along key travel arteries connecting cities, tourist destinations, and economic centres in the country.
Bharat Petroleum Fuel Stations offer the consumers added convenience of clean and hygienic washrooms, cash withdrawals, safe and secure parking while charging, free digital air facility, 24-hour operations, and much more. Select fuel stations also offer Nitrogen filling facilities. Several of Bharat Petroleum’s highway fuel stations also offer hygienic food through its strategic alliances with leading brands such as McDonald’s, A2B, Cube Stop, Café Coffee Day, and other local outlets. Bharat Petroleum has also planned to roll out its chain of In & Out convenience stores at key fuel stations on highways for added convenience to its customers.
Speaking on the occasion, Gaurav Gupta, CCO, of MG Motor India said, “MG has been at the forefront of the development of a strong EV ecosystem since the launch of the ZS EV in 2020. It brings us immense pride to announce the inauguration of twelve new DC fast-charging facilities across the most significant highway of the country, in partnership with BPCL. We intend to establish a holistic ecosystem in India to accelerate EV adoption, and the new chargers at the BPCL fuel stations will provide the necessary impetus for people to switch to electric mobility.”
