In a bid to address the lack of adequate charging stations and drive electric vehicle (EV) penetration in the country, India’s largest electric car maker, Tata Motor announced a target to have 4 lakh electric vehicle charging stations across the country by 2027.
Under the “Open Collaboration 2.0” initiative, Tata Motors’ plan includes installing 30,000 new public charging points in partnerships with charge point operators (CPOs) and oil marketing companies (OMCs). Additionally, the initiative will see the installation of 500 TATA.ev Mega chargers for electric vehicles of all brands, and superfast chargers with four charging bays.
“To enable the exponential growth of EVs in India, we’ve launched ‘Open Collaboration 2.0’, aiming to expand the charging network to over 400,000 points in the next two years, in partnership with leading CPOs,” said Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility. “This initiative will enhance the speed, reliability, and user experience of charging, while improving the viability of CPOs and facilitating their growth,” Chandra added.
Tata Motors' Electric Vehicle division has significantly contributed to the enhancement of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Initially, the company collaborated with Tata Group affiliates to implement private and home charging solutions. Subsequently, the focus shifted to expanding public charging infrastructure in cities with high rates of EV adoption.
Through its ‘Open Collaboration’ framework, launched in 2023, Tata Motors has been partnering with CPOs and OMCs to expand charging infrastructure across key hotspots, particularly along highways, to facilitate seamless long-distance mobility.
“TATA.ev’s cumulative impact includes the installation of over 1.5 lakh private or home chargers, 2,500 community chargers, and 750 chargers at TATA dealerships across more than 200 cities,” the company said in a press release. “Through ‘Open Collaboration 2.0’, TATA.ev is accelerating India’s EV charging ecosystem with an ambitious goal: to more than double the number of charging points to over 400,000 within the next two years.”
The TATA.ev Mega Chargers will be open to all brands’ electric vehicles, while TATA.ev customers will get priority access and tariff benefits. Users can easily locate, access, and pay for charging at these Mega Chargers through Tata Motors' IRA.ev app, eliminating the need for multiple charging apps. The chargers themselves will be operated by partner CPOs.
Maruti Suzuki, which recently unveiled its first electric vehicle, the e-Vitara, is also focusing on charging infrastructure. The automaker has stated its goal to have a charging point every 5 to 10 kilometers in the top 100 cities.