In the September 2023 quarter, Tata Power installed a record number of 180 e-bus charging stations, the largest ever in a single quarter.
As electric vehicle (EV) adoption accelerates, Tata Power is intensifying its efforts to enhance its charging infrastructure throughout India. In the quarter ending September 2023, the company increased its number of charging stations by 22% compared to the previous quarter in June 2023. Currently, Tata Power boasts 4,932 public and private charging points, with 561 new additions in the September quarter. Additionally, they introduced 11,529 new home charging points in the second quarter of the fiscal year, bringing the total to 61,959.
In this period, Tata Power achieved a significant milestone by installing 180 e-bus charging stations, the most in any quarter to date, raising the total to 464. As of September 2023, the company’s EV charging network spans 442 cities and towns and caters to over 170,000 registered users. The total charging points in the June 2023 quarter were 55,085, including 4,371 public charging points, 50,430 home charging units, and 284 e-bus charging points.
Tata Power has established numerous bus charging facilities from Kashmir to major cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. Praveen Sinha, MD & CEO of Tata Power, commented during the company’s Q2FY24 earnings call that extensive bus charging projects will likely boost the transition of public transportation to EVs.
The company recently partnered with Zoom Car to provide comprehensive EV charging infrastructure solutions. While the EV sector has made significant strides in addressing concerns like price, choice, and range, the future growth in EV volume will heavily rely on the availability of sufficient charging stations. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, pointed out that charging infrastructure is a significant barrier to EV growth. With 93% of EV users currently setting at home, indicating their preference for city driving, a surge in public charging facilities, particularly along highways, is expected in the next couple of years.
Chandra added that widespread highway charging availability is critical to persuading mainstream buyers to adopt EVs. While Tata Power and other charge point operators are planning significant expansions, the initiative by oil marketing companies to establish 22,000 charging stations on national highways by 2024 is a critical step towards mainstreaming EVs.
