Latest news with #ChargeZone
Time of India
12-08-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
ChargeZone partners with SBI to boost EV charging infra through financing support
ChargeZone , an EV charging company, has signed an MoU with the State Bank of India ( SBI ) under the EV Mitra scheme to accelerate the deployment of charging infrastructure across the country. The tie-up will provide financing of ₹10 lakh to ₹10 crore with flexible repayment options of up to seven years for individuals, businesses, and institutions to set up EV charging stations under ChargeZone's Dealer Owned, Company Operated (DoCo) model. The loans will be offered under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), reducing collateral requirements for eligible borrowers, according to the company's statement. The move aims to address the financing gap in EV infrastructure, which has grown fivefold in three years to over 26,000 public charging stations by early 2025. ChargeZone CEO Kartikey Hariyani said the partnership will empower entrepreneurs and businesses to participate in building the EV ecosystem, combining SBI's financial reach with the company's technology and operations. The initiative is aligned with ChargeZone's mission to deploy one million charging points across India, building on its existing network of 13,500 points at over 1,200 locations.
Mint
30-07-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Can you live with an EV as your main vehicle?
Next Story Shouvik Das Electric cars are tricky as a primary way to get around, many believe. The truth is a mixed bag, as this writer finds out over several long drives Can you rely on public charging infrastructure in long-range drives in India? Gift this article It was the middle of June, with the north-Indian heat wave threatening to step into 50 degrees. I hadn't felt its impact in the near-350 kilometres that I drove to reach the basement of a five-star hotel in Chandigarh—which I was pointed to as the closest destination for a public electric vehicle charger. It was only after I had reached the basement that I started feeling the heat—in more ways than one. It was the middle of June, with the north-Indian heat wave threatening to step into 50 degrees. I hadn't felt its impact in the near-350 kilometres that I drove to reach the basement of a five-star hotel in Chandigarh—which I was pointed to as the closest destination for a public electric vehicle charger. It was only after I had reached the basement that I started feeling the heat—in more ways than one. I'd driven in with a BMW i7—an electrified variant of the luxury sedan. I was loaned the car by the company to get a taste of how 'the best" electric car in India works. And yet, despite finding a public charger and making a payment, ChargeZone, the charging station provider, could not process my request or detect the car. That the charger was hidden in the corner of a basement with barely any access to network—for a service that wouldn't work without an app—compounded the mess of the situation. As I found out, India's nascent electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a quagmire of contradictions. When it works, it is a charm—but to find one that really works is a task that can leave you stranded with no way out. The ideal second car Six months ago, 45-year-old Koyeli Mapa, a biochemistry researcher, upgraded to an MG Windsor from her decade-old Honda Brio hatchback. Today, she is extremely happy with the choice that she made as her new car. 'I wanted a car that was spacious from the inside since we often have four humans and a dog travelling together, and still felt premium. I could go electric because my husband already drives a petrol SUV—which is what we use on long road trips. Plus, I didn't need to spend additional money to install my own charger—the apartment complex I live in has four charging points. Even though they are slow chargers, I mostly leave my car plugged in overnight once a week—and that is good enough for a week's worth of city driving," Mapa said. For the past three weeks, I drove nearly 1,500 kilometres—including a road trip from Delhi to Jaipur—in a Hyundai Ioniq 5. While the car turned many heads, the key point of its experience is that availability of charging infrastructure is still far from ubiquitous, but if you can find a fast charger near you, there can be no greater joy. Shell Ventures-backed Statiq has by far the most reliable charging infrastructure in the National Capital Region at the moment. In Noida's sector 18, the company has what I could find to be the fastest public charger in my two-month experience—a 120kW charger that could fully charge the Ioniq 5 in 35 minutes. For more common EVs with smaller batteries, such as the Tata Nexon EV, a 120kW charger can fully charge the car in less than 20 minutes. When it pours But finding such chargers is a rarity, and needs you to go out of your way to try refuelling your vehicle—which is the biggest shortcoming for EVs today. The most common 'fast' chargers available commonly are 60kW public chargers—found mostly with ChargeZone, Statiq and Reliance Industries' EV charging infrastructure platform, Jio-BP Pulse. These can take just over an hour to fully charge cars with large battery packs of more than 60kW. Unfortunately, most chargers found with vendors such as Tata Power, IIT Guwahati alumnus-backed CharjKaro, Finnish power firm Fortum-backed Glida and others, are either slow or damaged. Many of CharjKaro's Delhi EV charging points, for instance, were either defunct or hard to access on busy roads. Then, there's customer support. My predicament with ChargeZone, for instance, was a fault in the company's mobile application because of which the payment I made towards charging my car did not register, despite being deducted. The process of accessing the startup's customer care service, explaining my issue, and having them reinstate my payment took nearly two hours—after a one-hour struggle with the company's resistive touch interfaces on chargers that need you to enter a four-digit code before your car can be charged. The experience was similar with Glida, which Mint reported in May was being eyed for a takeover by either Adani or Reliance's conglomerate subsidiaries. Would a big-ticket takeover help make EV charging standardized and more equipped? Perhaps, but for now, Glida's charging app fails to register a request to stop charging your car. This means that you end up with any surplus balance in your app being deducted, without any room for you to recover—as contacting customer support only leads to human agents offering preset answers, without any actual 'support' being lent to users. For the future EVs, however, are certainly the right way to go. Three electric cars that I drove over the past two months were each very well equipped, laden with every form of technological assistance such as adaptive cruise control, emergency braking (a potentially life-saving feature for Indian roads), lane cameras, wireless infotainment via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a silent, refined in-car experience that elevates what cars at any price bracket has on offer as yet. For instance, in the sub- ₹ 20 lakh range, the MG Windsor offers almost every feature that one can think of—except for the inconvenience that almost every essential feature is also touchscreen-controlled. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, yet again very well-equipped and rather edgy by design, still costs ₹ 49 lakh—a price bracket that most Indian buyers would expect a European badge for, including fully-assisted highway driving. But, the lack of USB-C ports in the car, a plasticky dash, smaller screens than competitors, and that you don't get wireless Apple CarPlay—a feature that cars exponentially cheaper has on offer, can be deterrents to new car buyers looking for a suave EV today. In the luxury segment, the BMW i7 offers an array of features to play around with. The only qualm? The car's overall driving range—initially projected to be over 550 kilometres with 90% of battery power—takes a significant hit if you use the theatre screen, seat coolers and massagers, all at the same time. This, though, is what brings us to our key point. While the cars are fantastic from the viewpoint of feature sets, can you really rely on public charging infrastructure in long-range commutes? With charger discrepancies, lack of customer support and the often-occurring issues of chargers just being offline across north India, it is difficult to certify an EV as a primary car, or a family's only car, for now. Also Read | OnePlus Buds 4 review: Excellent audio, imperfect fit Topics You May Be Interested In Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
India's largest EV charging hub set up in this city: 210+ points, fast charging in 35 mins
Bangalore has become home to India's biggest and most powerful electric vehicle EV charging hub , as Gujarat-based firm Charge Zone has set up a new facility on June 24. Located in Beguru, Chikkanahalli, Bandikodegehalli Amanikere, the charging hub is purpose-built to support growing demand from urban fleets and intercity EV traffic . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With over 210 charging points, comprising 80 DC fast chargers with 160 outlets and 50 AC chargers, the site now holds the highest concentration of EV chargers at a single location in India - the company said. The facility has an installed capacity of more than 4 megawatts and can cater to electric cars, intercity buses, and even heavy-duty EV trucks. Furthermore, the company claims that vehicles at the hub can be fully charged in 35 to 45 minutes, thanks to its fast-charging setup. The facility also runs 24/7, aiming to serve commercial fleets, airport shuttles, corporate transport, and logistics vehicles that require quick turnarounds and minimal downtime. Tata Harrier EV Deep Dive ft. Anand Kulkarni | Battery Tech, AWD & More By December 2024, India had over 5.6 million electric vehicles on its roads, spanning two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, and buses. EV adoption saw a sharp rise in 2024, with annual sales crossing the 2 million mark for the first time. In addition to charging infrastructure, the facility will include clean restrooms, drinking water, waiting lounges, and ample parking space to make it comfortable for drivers during wait times. With more than 13,500 stations installed nationwide, the company continues to expand across major cities, highways, and tier-2 towns. Stay tuned to TOI Auto for latest updates on the automotive sector and do follow us on our social media handles on Facebook, Instagram and X. Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India.
NDTV
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Tata.ev Launches First 10 MegaChargers Across India
has inaugurated its first set of ten MegaChargers in India, covering multiple locations across the country. This marks the initial phase of the brand's effort to install 500 high-speed charging stations in the country. It is to be noted that the charging station installations have been developed in partnership with ChargeZone and Statiq. These have been positioned along the major highway corridors and urban centers in the country. The charging infrastructure has three stations along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, four on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, and more points on the Pune-Nashik route, as well as in Bengaluru and Udaipur. The flagship 400 kW MegaCharger located in Vadodara is capable of charging up to six vehicles at once, providing around 150 km of range in just 15 minutes. Also Read: India Hands Over 15 Tata Curvv EVs To Nepal In Key Diplomatic Move This initiative comes as part of plan to expand the network of charging stations in India to 400,000 by 2027, significantly increasing the existing infrastructure. The company has embraced an 'Open Collaboration' approach to work alongside various Charge Point Operators and Oil Marketing Companies. Commenting on the development, Balaje Rajan, Chief Strategy Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., said, 'At a time when EV adoption is on its growth path, ubiquitous and dependable charging infrastructure is the need of the hour. These first 10 MegaCharger sites in key EV corridors of the country are the first tranche of a superfast charging network that we will have across major highways." "The MegaCharger network will increasingly connect all major cities across India to remove charging anxiety. We are on a mission to provide fast, reliable, and effortless charging that enables seamless mobility across the country – and we are just getting started,' he added.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
TATA.ev launches 10 MegaChargers to expand EV charging network
has commissioned the first 10 high-speed MegaChargers as part of its national EV charging network. The move is part of the company's plan to expand available charge points to 400,000 by 2027. Developed in partnership with ChargeZone and Statiq, these installations are located across key highways and urban locations. The company said this initiative supports its strategy to enhance both intercity and urban electric vehicle mobility through its 'Open Collaboration' framework. Under this model, the company is working with charge point operators (CPOs) and oil marketing companies (OMCs) to improve charging infrastructure. Charging infrastructure expansion The 10 MegaChargers are the first phase of planned rollout of 500 such chargers across India. The company has placed these units in locations with high electric vehicle density to ensure easier access and reduce waiting times. 'These first 10 MegaCharger sites in key EV corridors of the country are the first tranche of a superfast charging network that we will have across major highways,' said Balaje Rajan, Chief Strategy Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles. 'The MegaCharger network will increasingly connect all major cities across India to remove charging anxiety. We are on a mission to provide fast, reliable, and effortless charging that enables seamless mobility across the country – and we are just getting started,' he added.
