10K and rising: Petrol stations that offer EV charging points

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The charge of the EV charging brigade is gathering momentum with such points now available in about 10,000 petrol stations across the country, The Economic Times has reported quoting oil ministry data.

Public sector oil marketing company Indian Oil is far ahead in the race of aligning itself with the needs of the gathering pace of electric mobility in the country. It has set up EV charging facilities in excess of 6,300 outlets. Hindustan Petroleum has more than 2,350 such stations while Bharat Petroleum is a poor third with only 850 outlets where EV can be charged.

These numbers are less than 40% of the cumulative target of having charging points in 22,000 outlets at IOC, HPCL and BPCL stations. These points are to be set up both inside and outside cities.

The private fuel retailers are far behind in the number game. Shell has set up charging facilities at more than 200 outlets while Nayara Energy has these in fewer than 200 outlets. The joint venture between India’s biggest company Reliance Industries and BP has chargers at fewer than 50 outlets.

The numbers that PSU OMCs have achieved is due to the government pursuing the cause of setting up charging facilities for the public who have doubts about running out of charge when driving long distance. Rolling out a wide network of charging points and allaying this doubt of running out of charge are crucial for faster adoption of electric mobility in the country. Incidentally, the oil ministry has directed all petrol pumps commissioned after November 2019 to set up one alternate energy supply besides petrol and diesel. They could choose from charging points for EVs, CNG or biogas.

“BPCL has launched more than 90 EV fast charging highway corridors in the country, with fast charging stations at roughly every 100 kms on both sides of the highways. Corridors cover more than 30,000 km (both ways) across highways. Chennai-Trichy-Madurai, Chennai-Bengaluru and Bengaluru-Coorg were the first three EV fast-charging corridors set up by BPCL,” the company told the newspaper.

But charging takes more time than filling an internal combustion technology vehicle with liquid fuel. Therefore, Shell cafes and car care at its outlets to keep drivers engaged while their cars are charged.

Other oil companies are also opting for convenience stores, food outlets joints and sundry services which also help to rake in additional income for the companies.