Reliance Industries and BP’s Jio-bp venture have announced aggressive plans to install over 30,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across India by 2030, a massive boost to India’s EV charging infrastructure.
The company will install these charging stations strategically at “EV-convenient locations” like malls, corporate parks, hotels, airports, and residential societies. The large-scale deployment will aim to address one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption in India – range anxiety.
A person in the know said to Livemint, “While sales of electric two-wheelers have crossed the 5% adoption threshold, sales of electric four-wheelers are still to touch that inflection point… We have observed across geographies that once the adoption of electric vehicles crosses the 5% mark, the growth thereafter is sharp, and Jio-bp is also hoping to ride on that growth in India.”
Jio-bp’s Ambitious EV Charging Expansion
The charging network will leverage massive green energy resources, with reports indicating that nearly 70% of the electricity utilized to charge these charging stations will be renewable. Solar energy farms will be one of the principal sources of power for the Jio-bp EV charging network, in alignment with global and domestic clean energy drives.
Jio-bp already has a network of 500 charging stations with 5,000 charging points across India. The expansion plans are a six-fold growth in their charging infrastructure footprint over the next six years.
This huge investment is at the right time for the Indian government, which has included INR 2,000 crore under the PM E-DRIVE scheme to specifically catalyze EV charging infrastructure growth. India had installed over 25,200 public EV charging stations across the country until the end of 2024, with state-owned oil marketing firms (OMCs) installing more than 20,000 of them at their own cost.
The expansion comes close on the heels of Tata Motors’ recent announcement to scale up its EV charging network in a big way. The automobile behemoth plans to double its charging stations to a whopping 400,000 by 2027, of which 30,000 would be public fast chargers installed through partnerships with charge point operators and OMCs at strategic high-traffic zones, such as along highway corridors.
EV Charging Boom in India
Industry insiders point out that this charging infrastructure growth spurt is purely essential for India’s EV market growth. The expansion by biggies such as Jio-bp and Tata Motors is addressing a humongous pain point in the EV value chain – charging point access and availability.
Range anxiety continues to be a huge psychological hurdle for potential EV buyers in India, especially for customers considering electric four-wheelers for long-distance use. By creating a high-density charging point network at usage hotspots, Jio-bp plans to dispel such fears and instill more confidence in EV tech.
The overall Indian EV ecosystem is seeing faster evolution, driven by a combination of government incentives, falling vehicle costs, and growing charging infrastructure. As estimated with Inc42 data, the domestic EV space is likely to become a $110.74 billion opportunity by 2029.
Industry analysts point out that the 5% adoption figure quoted by the Jio-bp source is a tipping point observed in international markets. Countries that have passed this adoption barrier are likely to see their EV adoption pick up speed in future years, as the enhancement of infrastructure, cost reduction, and growing consumer consciousness drive a self-reinforcing process.
Whereas electric two-wheelers have already crossed this barrier in India, four-wheeler adoption is still below this level. But with industry leaders pumping gigantic sums into charging infrastructure, even the four-wheeler segment could cross its own tipping point in the foreseeable future.
The Jio-bp move also reflects a broader trend among traditional oil and gas majors to expand their book of businesses and have a presence in the emerging clean energy transport opportunity. With one of India’s largest business conglomerates partnering with a global energy giant, their shared commitment to EV infrastructure is a strong expression of their confidence in the long-term sustainability and growth prospects of electric mobility in India.
