Convergence Energy Services Expands Charging Stations On Highways Across India

A wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) under the Ministry of Power, Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) will establish public charging stations on expressways and national highways. CESL will install 810 electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) throughout 16 expressways and national highways, traversing10,275 km across the nation.

Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) claims that the chosen corridors will include heavily-used thoroughfares like the Mumbai-Pune Highway, Ahmedabad-Vadodara Highway, Delhi-Agra Yamuna Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Hyderabad ORR Expressway, and Agra-Nagpur Highway, to mention a few. A service procurement model is being used by CESL to install these charging stations, which is a first for the industry and involves the private sector in creating India’s ecosystem for electric mobility.

As part of this public-private partnership concept, CESL will collaborate with businesses who will hold the responsibility to finance and manage the installation of these charging stations along motorways and expressways. The timeline for the installation of these charging stations is six to eight months. As part of the FAME-II project, which is run by the Ministry of Heavy Industries with the goal of promoting and establishing a nationwide network of e-highways, the charging infrastructure is being installed on highways.

As per CESL, these EV charging stations will be made in such a way that they can accommodate both private and public vehicles (inclusive of e-buses). These will entail those that can are currently on the road, such as, Hyundai Kona, Tata Nexon EV, MG ZS EV.  Fast DC hookups will be installed, while CESL will build 220 100kW chargers and 590 50kW chargers.

CESL added that “Every 25 km, there will be a 50kW charger, and every 100 km, a 100kW charger. Customers will have access to these charging stations via a smartphone app that offers details about the close-by charging stations’ availability, charger kinds, ability to schedule reservations or charge without them, pricing, and other information that commuters frequently need. Depending on the battery size of the cars, customers can charge their EV at a charging station in 40 to 50 minutes.”