Around 9,000 petrol pumps in India, accounting for approximately one-tenth of the total, now provide electric vehicle (EV) charging services as fuel retailers expand their alternative energy offerings.
Data from the Petroleum and natural gas ministry revealed a significant increase from 3,423 charging facilities a year ago to 8,853 in June. This expansion is driven by government initiatives and the recognition among companies that establishing a presence in the alternative energy sector is crucial.
The proliferation of charging facilities within cities and along highways aims to alleviate range anxiety for prospective EV owners and facilitate the transition to electric mobility.
Indian Oil Corporation leads with the highest number of pumps offering EV charging (5,600 out of 36,400 outlets), followed by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (2,100 out of total pumps) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (738 out of 21,100 pumps). Reliance-BP, Nayara Energy, and Shell, the private fuel retailers, have EV charging facilities at a smaller fraction of their pumps.
The transformation of traditional petrol pumps into energy stations is evident as they now provide services such as petrol, diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), compressed biogas (CBG), and EV charging.
Additionally, nearly 5,000 petrol pumps offer CNG services, while approximately 43% of all pumps rely on solar energy for their operational needs.
Indian Oil, HPCL, and BPCL have plans to expand the number of EV charging facilities, aiming for 22,000 pumps in the coming years. Indian Oil targets 10,000 charging facilities by 2024, and HPCL plans to establish 5,000 EV stations by 2025.
