Sj Desk
“Nothing we do, can change the past. But everything we do, changes the future.” - Ashleigh Brilliant
he future has already arrived, and it’s pretty sooner than we’d expected. No, I’m not talking about flying cars. Neither am I discussing the possibility of humanoid robots. What I’m saying is pretty simple; India will finally join the big guns in the green automobile sector as the first phase of EV charging stations have already commenced their operations in Pune and Mumbai. The 2019 budget was a remarkable one, as it pushed the barriers in terms of the sales of electric cars by subsidizing them. And now we have gone a step further. Thanks to Tata Motors, approximately 42 charging stations will be installed in 5 of the major cities, including the metropolitan ones. This isn’t just a small step for our nation. It’s a huge leap forward.
Electrify America chargers by BTC power.
In line with its strategy to bank upon group strengths, Tata Motors has partnered with Tata Power to set up 300 fast charging stations for electric vehicles across Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad by the end of FY20 (Fiscal Year 2020). Tata Motors, which intends to roll out four electric cars in the coming quarters, clearly aims to prepare a decent ecosystem for its potential EV customers in the future. With electric vehicles taking the center-stage in the automobile market, this joint venture by Tata Motors and Tata Power is a fruitful one. Promoting the use of e-vehicles in the country was easy, but convincing the consumers of a hassle-free experience was a tough nut to crack. However, with this move, owners of e-vehicles won’t have to worry about commuting to and fro with the possibility of draining out their vehicles.
The chargers will be operated by Tata Power and will adhere to Bharat Standard (15 kW) for the initial 50 chargers, the two companies said in a joint announcement. The companies also plan to install charging stations that will adhere to 30-50 kW DC CCS2 (Combined Charging System) standard.The chargers will be installed at Tata Motors dealerships, certain Tata Group retail outlets and other public locations. “Our aim is to make EV charging as fast and easy as possible for all the Indians and we are very pleased to partner with Tata Motors, with whom we jointly identified high priority locations which could be preferred by the potential electric vehicle owners," Tata Power MD and CEO Praveer Sinha said in a statement.
An EV charging station installed in Mumbai by Tata Motors and Tata Power.
Quite recently, until a few days ago Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO, Elon Musk, had said that due to the import and custom duties, Tesla cars will become unaffordable in India, thereby quashing any hopes of owning a Tesla car amongst the general Indian public. Which is why Indian automobile manufacturers, Tata, Mahindra, etc. are coming up with their own electric vehicles. Fact of the matter is some of these are even operational on road. Mahindra e20 (previously known as the Reva) is consumer’s first and only choice while opting for electric cars in India. This indicates that there is a certain segment of the population which is patiently waiting to explore new ranges and selections in the e-vehicles market. Installation of these charging stations not only promotes a healthy idea of using green automobiles, but it aslo emboldens the notion of a cleaner and greener country.
Indian Oil has set up EV charging stations in collaboration with Tata Motors.
In addition to its independent charging stations, Tata Motors has signed MoUs with oil giants like HPCL, IGCL and IOL for setting up commercial EV charging stations at their outlets. All said and done, it’s quite commendable on Tata’s part for taking the initiative of changing the face of the Indian automobile industry. Yes, the initial response might be a little lukewarm, but eventually people will warm up to it. Every idea seems small at first, but if guided and executed correctly, it can have the potential to cause change at a global level. And this is the future India was waiting for. It’s the future we deserve. For if anyone knows the sweet fruit of patience, it definitely has to be us.