(Reuters) – Tata Motors, India’s EV market leader, said on Thursday it will more than double its charging points to 400,000 over the next two years to address concerns over range and inadequate charging infrastructure that have dogged EV sales.
That effort would see the company and its electric vehicle charger operators, including Tata Power and Statiq, set up 30,000 new public charging points as well as a verified ‘Mega Charger’ network across 500 locations over the next two years.
The ‘Mega Charger’ network, which the company said would feature 120-kilowatt fast-charging guns, will be open for use to other EV manufacturers.
Electric models made up about 2.5% of the 4 million cars sold in the country last year amid concerns over range and inadequate charging infrastructure, and the government wants to grow this to 30% by 2030.
The government plans to give 20 billion rupees ($230 million) in incentives for setting up public fast-charging stations in a market where the majority of EV users currently charge their vehicles at home.
($1 = 86.9600 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Nandan Mandayam in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
