CHENNAI: The first electric vehicle (EV) friendly highway in Southern India with 10 fuel stations along the 900-km route on the Chennai-Trichy-Madurai highway was launched by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on Thursday. It will soon be followed up on key routes which have high traffic and a propensity for transition to travel by electric vehicles.
Speaking at the launch of the state-of-the-art fuel station at Meenambakkam, executive director in-charge (Retail) BPCL PS Ravi said the launch of the EV fast-charging stations in large format fuel stations on the Chennai-Trichy-Madurai highway, each at a distance of about 100 km, is the beginning of eliminating range anxiety among existing and future four-wheel EV owners in India.
A BPCL spokesman said that usually, EVs take 30-40 minutes to charge up to 80 per cent. For waiting customers, amenities have been provided for relaxation and refreshments. BPCL will charge consumers based on the kilowatts used. The cost will be roughly half of what it takes to run a petrol car, the spokesman added.
In an effort to boost inter-city travel for EVs, Ravi said Bharat Petroleum has planned to provide CCS-2 Electric Vehicle charging stations (EVCS) at its fuel stations at strategic intervals on all major national highways connecting major cities and economic centres in the country.
The plan is to convert 7,000 conventional retail outlets into energy stations providing multiple fuelling options including EV charging facility, said Ravi, adding that they are in talks with auto majors to popularise the EV fuel stations.
Another highway in the South to join the list soon
It has been learnt that another highway in southern India will be targeted in March, and by June-end, BPCL plans to have 300-400 charging stations across India