Magenta Power, a renewable energy solutions provider, has partnered with Exicom to install a solar-based DC charging station for electric vehicles (EV) in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai.

The charging station called Magenta Charging Station- 3 has chargers which are powered by solar and are also grid-connected. This makes the entire four-wheeler charging eco-system independent of fossil fuel.

“This is our first solar based EV charging station, which is also India’s first such station,” news agency PTI quoted Magenta Power CEO Maxson Lewis as saying.

“Solar panels and electric vehicles are the perfect match that are certainly going to play a key role in the energy system of the next 25 years. As the nation moves towards clean and affordable power for all, it is our attempt to provide customers with the best solutions for a greener tomorrow,” Lewis added.

Considering that electric vehicle charging stations will see an encouraging growth in India in the coming years, the company plans to set up 100 charging stations at various locations in Mumbai for easier adoption of electric vehicles.

Recently, the Ministry of Power issued a clarification that no license is required to operate EV charging stations in India. Initially, the industry and stakeholders believed a license is needed to develop and operate an EV charging station in India.

The domestic EV market is emerging out of its nascent stage. Along with the surge of EV tenders in the country, the EV charging segment has also witnessed a spike. Of late, various companies have also started setting up their charging stations across the country to make EVs more convenient and popular.

In January 2018, Tata Power announced new additions to its strategic network of EV charging stations at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and the Western Express highway at Borivali.

Previously, Mercom reported that NTPC was seeking a pan-India license to construct and set up EV charging stations across the country. In March 2018, NTPC also issued a tender for the development of EV charging infrastructure in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

Recently, Mercom also reported that NTPC announced the installation of an EV charging station at Talcher Super Thermal Power Station in the state of Odisha. The charging station would cater to the needs of the EVs owned by the company as well as its employees.

Similarly, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) also came up with the announcement that it will launch fast EV charging stations in Bangalore.

The government is currently targeting sales of 6-7 million new hybrid and electric vehicles by 2020 under the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP).

Electric Vehicle sales in the country are expected to grow in the double digits until the year 2020, according to a joint report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and global advisory firm EY.

Image credit: By Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons