Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. (TPEM) announced today that it has formed a partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) to increase EV adoption in India and to offer accessible charging stations to users. Tata has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state-owned oil retailer HPCL to set up EV charging stations at fuel pumps. In the initial phase, HPCL is aiming to set up around 5,000 charging stations across the nation by December 2024.
HPCL currently has around 21,500 fuel stations nationwide, and the PSU (Public Sector Undertaking) will collect data on charger usage to enhance the customer experience. TPEM will assist in choosing charging stations by utilizing driving data from more than 1.2 lakh Tata EVs on Indian roads.
TPEM has a market share of 68 percent in the rapidly growing Indian electric vehicle segment. The auto giant sells four models in the country: Tiago EV, Punch EV, Nexon EV, and Tigor EV. While most EV charging is now available at customers’ homes or offices, having charging stations in public areas is essential to boosting EV adoption rates in the nation.
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Recently, Tata Motors inaugurated its first electric vehicle dealership in Gurugram. On the other hand, across the nation, HPCL has installed around 3,050 EV charging stations so far, incorporating battery swapping stations. According to Tata, the brands are also planning to unveil a user-friendly payment method facilitated by a co-branded RFID card at these specific locations.
Commenting on the collaboration, the Chief Strategy Officer at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Mr. Balaje Rajan, said, “As the adoption of EVs increases, the availability of widespread and dependable charging infrastructure will play a crucial role in making EVs mainstream in India. This strategic partnership with HPCL emphasizes our dedication to advancing India's EV ecosystem in which the growth of charging infrastructure plays a pivotal role.”
The Chief General Manager, Retail Strategy & BD, HPCL, Debashis Chakraverty, said, “HPCL with its 21000+ fuel stations has entered into an alliance with Tata Motors that commands 68 percent market share in the Indian EV market. Through this alliance, HPCL shall leverage Tata Motors’ vehicle base to enable our strategic expansion in EV charging infrastructure at places with higher charging demand and will help in reducing range anxiety of EV customers.”
