R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, FEB 17
The state-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on Thursday launched India’s first EV Fast-Charging Corridors on Chennai – Trichy – Madurai National Highway 45, with the rollout of CCS-2 DC Fast chargers at 10 of its conveniently located Fuel Stations along the 900-kilometer route.
The company is accelerating its focus on new business segments for sustainable growth and converting 7,000 conventional Retail Outlets into Energy Stations providing multiple fuelling options, which will also include an EV charging facility by March 2024, in the medium to long term.
Acknowledging that building customer confidence in the ease of finding conveniently located EV charging stations and elimination of range anxiety will be a principal proponent for faster adoption of Electric vehicles in the country, Bharat Petroleum has planned to provide CCS-2 Electric Vehicle charging stations (EVCS) at its fuel stations at periodic intervals on all major national highways connecting major cities and economic centres in the country to boost inter-city travel on Electric vehicles. The first phase launch on Chennai – Trichy – Madurai highway will be followed up by key routes which have high existing motorist traffic and a propensity for transition to travel by electric vehicles.
On the sidelines of the national launch at its state of the art fuel station at Meenambakkam in Chennai, P S Ravi, Executive Director In-charge (Retail), BPCL said “Bharat Petroleum has been at the forefront in providing convenience-oriented solutions and experiences to its customers across segments. Our Pure for Sure promise which is the bedrock of all our solutions, is built on a bunch of customer enablement processes that bring trust, transparency and convenience to the fore at all touch points.
Based on the survey and motorised traffic, the Chennai – Trichy – Madurai NH 45 has been chosen for the national launch. It would soon be expanded in other corridors such as Chennai – Vellore – Hosur – Bengaluru; Bengaluru – Mysuru; Coimbatore – Salem – Chennai and other main corridors in the Southern India, he added.
“We are committed to accelerating the transition to cleaner energy and today’s launch of 10 CCS-2 EV fast charging stations in our large format fuel stations on the Chennai – Trichy – Madurai national highway, each at a distance of approx 100 kms, is a beginning in our quest to eliminate range anxiety amongst existing and future 4-wheeler EV owners in the country. With the development of national highways in the country to world class standards, motorist travel on the highways, especially those which connect important cities and economic centres has been seeing rapid growth, accelerated by increased consciousness of health safety that comes with personal mobility. BPCL fuel Stations on highways offer a wide range of conveniences and amenities and we look forward to welcoming and serving our EV customers the Pure for Sure experience in this exciting new and sustainable world of Electric mobility,” Ravi added.
The Bharat Petroleum fuel stations offer the consumers with the added convenience of clean and hygienic washrooms for ladies and gentlemen, children play area, safe and secure parking while charging, free digital air facility, 24 hour operations, all of which are critical amenities that motorists look for on highways. Select fuel stations also offer Nitrogen filling facilities. Several of Bharat Petroleum’s highway fuel stations also offer hygienic food through its strategic alliances with leading brands such as McDonald’s, A2B, Cube Stop, Café Coffee Day and other regional players. Bharat Petroleum has also planned to roll out its chain of In & Out convenience stores at key fuel stations on highways for added convenience to its customers.
Subhankar Sen, Chief General Manager (Retail Initiatives & Brand) Retail; Syed Abbas Akhtar, Chief General Manager (Public Relations & Brand): Inderjit Singh, Head, (Retail) South; Saurbh Jain, Chief Manager (Public Relations & Brand) and Ranjitha R Gopal, Territory Co-ordinator, Retail – Chennai, dealers of petroleum products in and around Chennai were present on this occasion.
