TVS Motor signs agreement with Tata Power to develop EV ecosystem

A memorandum of understanding between the two companies speaks of deploying solar power technologies at TVS Motor's select locations

TVS Motor Company, the flagship firm of the $8.5-billion TVS Group and India’s third-largest two-wheeler maker, has entered into a strategic partnership with Tata Power for the implementation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) across the country.

As part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies, apart from the implementation of EVCI, solar power technology will be deployed at TVS Motor’s select locations. The partnership aims at creating a large dedicated electric two-wheeler charging infrastructure to accelerate electric mobility in India.

This will give customers of TVS iQube Electric access to a widespread charging network by Tata Power through the TVS Motor customer connect application (app) and Tata Power EZ Charge app across India, the company said in a statement.

“Our partnership will substantially enhance customer convenience through world-class fast-charging solutions. Fitting to TVS Motor's vision of electrification, we envisage a wide and reliable charging infrastructure for two- and three-wheeler EV customers across India, powered by renewable sources of energy, such as solar,” said Sudarshan Venu, joint managing director, TVS Motor Company.

“We are happy to join hands with TVS Motor to become their EV charging partner. Through this collaboration, we will further leverage our expertise to enhance synergy between sustainable mobility and renewable energy integration,” said Praveer Sinha, chief executive officer and MD, Tata Power.

The two companies will also explore opportunities to use solar energy to power select TVS Motor locations in their journey towards sustainability.

The company’s MoU with Tata Power is in line with its commitment to expanding the presence of TVS iQube Electric in over 25 cities in the next few months. The electric scooter is presently available in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Kochi, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Surat, Vizag, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad.

Tata Power has an expansive network of over 5,000 home chargers and over 700 public chargers in more than 120 cities in India. The company is present across all segments of the EV ecosystem – public charging, captive charging, home and workplace charging stations, and has deployed all types of chargers, including DC chargers and AC chargers.

It also comes with a background of executing multiple large solar solutions, including the world’s largest rooftop (16 megawatt) at a single location at Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Amritsar; India’s largest grid-synchronised, 6.2 megawatts-peak solar carport at Tata Motors car plant in Chikhali, Pune; world’s largest solar-powered cricket stadium - The Cricket Club of India - with 820.8-kilowatt (kW) capacity; and a unique installation of a solar vertical farm (120 kW) at Dell Technologies.

In addition, Tata Power is carrying out an extensive pan-Indian residential rooftop programme in more than 100 cities to make people aware of the benefits of saving via solar energy.