EV Plugs comes up with aggregator service for EV charging

India’s first independent aggregator app for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations has gone live with more than 1000 verified listings. EV Plugs is a free app available on both iOS and android besides being web-based. 

According to Manish Narang, co-founder and chief executive, EV Plugs, the 1000 charging stations are across more than 60 cities in India. The listed charging stations include those being offered by Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), Tata Power, Statiq, Ather, ReVolt, etc.

Public sector companies, like NTPC and EESL, and those running electric vehicle (EV) services, like BluSmart, have put up charging infrastructure. Private sector companies, like Tata Power, are also in the business but have so far confined themselves to provide EV charging facilities at their group outlets. Tata Motors, for instance, through Tata Power’s EZ Charge is ensuring that the buyers of its EVs get charging facilities. Both Tata Motors and MG Motor even help their customers put up compatible charging points at home.

“In the coming few months, we will be enabling feature showcasing availability of free charging slots along with nearby amenities so that car owners can plan activities, like shopping, eating, etc. during the waiting period,” Narang told Business Standard. The app offers tips for the EV owners on making the most of their time while being there.

As the EV charging infrastructure in India gets built-in record scale ground up, there is a dire need among EV owners for a single go-to place for verified listings, considering how charging is crucial when it comes to EVs, he said. Narang along with Kapil Narang and Ashwani Arora have founded EV Plugs this year after raising undisclosed funding from close associates.

According to Narang, the market would be flooded with EVs across categories two-wheelers, four-wheelers, three wheelers, and even HMVs and by default EV charging stations. “However, it is going to be multiple decades before we reach a situation similar to diesel and petrol where one can be assured of finding one station within a few kilometres whichever part of India, excepting the remote regions.” Delhi-based EV Plugs is trying to address the real need of EV owners.

It will keep updating the listings in real-time. “In the future, we also plan to introduce the facility of EV owners being able to book slots at these stations through our platform and other related value-added services. Our aim is to emerge as the one-stop platform for multiple needs related to EVs for the millions of owners who would be owning one sooner or later,” he said. 

Some states and cities have made provision of charging points mandatory in new buildings. 

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), which had declared its plan to branch out into sustainable energy solutions, also wants to branch out into e-charging and batteries. Besides, new retail outlets for petrol and diesel dispensing are required to set up alternate fuel facilities including e-charging at the outlets.

The Union government is promoting setting up of EV charging infrastructure on the Mumbai-Pune, Ahmedabad-Vadodara, Delhi-Agra Yamuna, Bengaluru-Mysore, Bengaluru-Chennai, Surat - Mumbai, Agra-Lucknow, Eastern Peripheral and Hyderabad-ORR Expressways. Besides, proposals have also been invited for Delhi - Srinagar, Delhi-Kolkata, Agra-Nagpur, Meerut to Gangotri Dham, Mumbai- Delhi, Mumbai-Panaji, Mumbai-Nagpur, Mumbai-Bengaluru and Kolkata to Bhubaneswar highways.