NITI Aayog, the policy think-tank of Government of India has the petroleum minister for helping setting up of electric vehicle (EV) charging station at 1,000 fuel stations across the nation, but as per industry administrators, such move will require upgrading of stations and a suitable plan of action.

The key factor required bringing stability and popularity for EVs in India is easy to access to the charging facility. In India where cities are choking with vehicle emissions, this prompting step could make the situation a bit better and a major step can be taken towards creating an ecosystem favorable to green vehicles.

Since the popularity of electric vehicle got more intensified comprehensively a couple of years back, Indian oil marketing companies have been exploring possibilities of being relevant in the future probably dominated by EVs. Now the government can accelerate their transition.

For EV charging to take off at traditional pumps, companies will need to come up with a viable business model as well a design tweak of filling stations, company executives and petrol pump dealers said.

Current structure enables vehicles to enter from one end of the pump, get fuel from dispensers and then move towards exit within minutes from the opposite end. Substituting dispensers with electric chargers would stop the free progression of traffic at pumps since charging needs a longer time than filling fluid fuel, said Nitin Goyal, treasurer at All India Petroleum Dealers Association. This would bother clients and hinder the business.

Goyal further added that “Today we don’t know the kind of margin EV charging can offer. But before setting up a charging point, a dealer will evaluate if the business is as profitable as the liquid fuel business.” Longer charging time would mean fewer customers serviced in a day at filling stations. Also, initially, there will be fewer EV customers.

“Most people can get their cars recharged in parking basements of their homes, offices or malls eventually. Commercial vehicle owners or those driving long distances probably would mostly need to go to filling stations for charging or swapping the battery,” Canth said.

It’s important for oil companies to get into EV charging business now as it would help them retain market share in the transportation fuel business in the future.

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