MG Motor, Fortum Set up a 50KW Public EV Charger in Pune

The Indian subsidiary of Chinese automotive manufacturer SAIC Motor, MG Motor India, and clean-energy Finnish company Fortum Charge & Drive India together have set up a 50 kW Superfast public EV charging station in Pune.

The smart chargers can be accessed by anyone who has an EV car compatible with the CCS2 (Combined Charging System), by registering on Fortum’s mobile app.

Speaking on the partnership, Mr. Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motor India, said, “Our collaboration with Fortum reiterates our commitment towards enabling the infrastructure for environment-friendly mobility solutions in the country. The ZS EV’s availability in more cities in a phase-wise manner is a step closer to achieving sustainability goals. After launching the ZS EV in 6 more cities in 2021, the MG ZS EV is now available across 37 Indian cities.”

MG Motor India and Fortum had announced their partnership in 2019. Since then, the carmaker and Fortum have built a network of 11 DC chargers across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad.

Commenting on this inauguration, the Vice President of Fortum Charge & Drive India, Mr. Awadhesh Kumar Jha said, “We are happy to extend our partnership with one of the leading automotive companies to further bolster the super-fast charging network in the country. With this charger on Fortum Charge & Drive network, an EV user can travel between Mumbai and Pune without any range anxiety as both the cities have Fortum chargers.”

MG ZS EV can be charged from 0 to 80% in 50 minutes at Fortum superfast charging stations, as per the company’s claims. Other charging options with the ZS EV include a free-of-cost AC fast-charger (installed at the customer’s home/office), a plug-and-charge cable onboard, and charge-on-the-go with Roadside Assistance. Additionally, it has extended the charging network in select satellite cities.

Previously, MG Motors joined up with the Noida-based Attero to recycle electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Lithium-ion batteries used in MG Motor’s ZS EV units after their end-of-life are to be reused and recycled as an endeavor of this partnership, the automaker said in a statement.