The first step towards nationwide electric vehicle charging infrastructure in India was recently taken by the government when an agreement was signed between a Finland-based company and a government-owned infrastructure developer in India.
Fortum and NBCC India signed a memorandum of understanding for developing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
The agreement covers planning, designing, investing, and operating the charging infrastructure using a cloud-based system. “India is an important market for us. We have developed Fortum Charge & Drive to meet these demands, paving the way for the more widespread and efficient use of electric vehicles,” Arto Räty, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Communications, Fortum said.
Fortum has set up a 22 kilowatt charging station at NBCC premises on a pilot basis. This will likely be tested once the first batch of electric vehicles are delivered to government institutions later this year.
Fortum and NBCC plan to set up more than 150 charging stations across the country over the next 12–18 months. This rapid expansion will be necessary, as the government has just ordered 10,000 electric vehicles through a public tender.
Recently, India’s transportation minister warned Indian carmakers that he would ensure policies are created to push them to make electric vehicles. India plans to stop sales of vehicles that use fossil fuels by 2030.
Apart from cars and private vehicles, the Indian government is also looking to significantly expand electric vehicles in public transportation. Electric buses will soon ply in India and the government has come out with a long-term policy for states and cities to develop infrastructure friendly to the growth of electric vehicles.
Aside from Fortum’s deal with NBCC, as we just reported, ABB just landed a deal to supply 4,500 EV charging stations across India. So, it’s clear India is actually moving into the EV future.
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