In a bid to promote greener energy solutions in line with sustainable energy commitments, Indian Oil Corporation will install EV (electric vehicle) charging facilities at 10,000 fuel stations over the next three years, the company said Wednesday in a press release.
The proposed charging network will facilitate an uninterrupted driving experience for users and boost the country's EV manufacturing ecosystem. At present, Indian Oil has 448 EV charging stations and 30 battery swapping stations across the country, the release added.
"Electric vehicles are now a reality, and Indian Oil is geared up to tide over challenges and leverage opportunities in this area. Our bouquet of services will now include alternative energy offerings, including EV charging at our fuel stations. We will focus on nine cities in the first phase, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat and Pune. This is as per the 'National Mission for Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage',” Chairman Indian Oil SM Vaidya said.
“We will expand the network of charging stations in a phased manner to the State capitals, smart cities and major highways and expressways connecting these cities,” he added.
Indian Oil has collaborated and is supporting Tata Power, REIL, PGCIL, NTPC, Fortum, Hyundai, Tech Mahindra, BHEL and Ola for setting up EV chargers at its fuel stations. Initially, a mix of chargers suited for 2W/3W will be provided, which will be upgraded as per requirement and market conditions, the release said.
IOC started ‘Zero Emission Electric Mobility', a hybrid microgrid enabled clean energy EV charging solution, at its SBT Fuel Station at Neelamangala, Bengaluru. The hybrid microgrid used for charging EVs at Indian Oil fuel stations comprises solar power, battery storage and grid power. The solution, developed and patented by Hygge Energy, ensures that charging takes place primarily using solar power, thus ensuring zero-emission e-mobility.
“Moreover, Indian Oil has collaborated with Sun Mobility to strengthen its foray into green energy for battery swapping stations. The corporation also has set up IOC Phinergy Pvt. Ltd, a 50:50 JV company with Phinergy Ltd. of Israel, to commercialise aluminium-air battery technology in India,” the release said. It further added that the corporation is also exploring Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) to generate clean power using SOFC. Through this, the fuel stations will act as parallel mini-grid and ensure the generation of reliable and affordable clean & green energy for EV charging.