Bharat Petroleum Unveils EV Fast-charging Corridor

India’s leading oil marketing company Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) has launched an electric-vehicle fast-charging corridor along the Chennai-Trichy-Madurai highway, deploying charging infrastructure at ten of its petrol pumps.

The company has set up new charging stations along the 900-kilometre route. These stations have been deployed on both sides of the highway in order to provide convenient access to electric vehicles users.

The development is also being hailed as the establishment of India’s first EV-friendly highway, given that BPCL has deployed CCS-2 DC fast-chargers along the stretch to help EV drivers save commuting time.

Following this launch, the company plans to focus on key routes in India that currently witness high motorist traffic. This is just the tip of the iceberg, according to sources. Through this push, the company is reportedly planning to convert more than 7,000 conventional retail outlets into ‘energy stations’ which will provide multiple fuelling options, including EV charging facility, to customers.

Bharat Petroleum further plans to provide CCS-2 electric-vehicle charging stations (EVCS) at its fuel stations at periodic intervals on all major national highways. This is expect to give a boost to the EV industry as these highways connect major cities and economic centres in the country.

BPCL says that by deploying fast-chargers for electric vehicles, it is trying to build customer confidence in the ease of finding conveniently-located EV charging infrastructure. This is also likely to eliminate range anxiety among customers.

PS Ravi, Executive Director In-charge of Retail Segment, BPCL, says, “Bharat Petroleum has been at the forefront in providing convenience oriented solutions and experiences to its customers across segments.”

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. is developing a road-map of sustainable solutions as the company looks to become a net-zero energy company by 2040. In 2021, the firm declared that it has a network of about 90,000 petrol pumps in the country and will deploy EV charging points on all of them in the near future.