One in every 10 petrol pumps in India now offering CNG, EV charging

One in every 10 petrol pumps in India now offers an electric vehicle (EV) charging facility or CNG filling station to boost the use of renewable energy. According to a report in the Economic Times (ET), India has about 84,600 fuel retail outlets, of which 8,900 offer alternative fuels such as CNG, auto LPG or EV charging facilities. 

Out of these, the EV charging facility is available at 4,100 pumps and the CNG facility at 4,000 pumps. 

"India is witnessing a larger trend of liquid fuel stations turning into energy stations where a customer has the choice of ordering petrol, diesel, natural gas, or electrons as per his needs. It brings convenience to customers. It also helps oil companies guard their future profits," an industry executive told ET. 

Several oil retailers in India like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have accepted the natural gas business and are acquiring licenses to serve the gas in large parts of India. 

In parts where they do not have licences for natural gas, these state-owned retailers are selling CNG. 

The total number of CNG retail outlets in India is about 4,700 today, up from 1,270 five years ago. According to ET, the number is expected to top 10,000 in 7 years.

Indian Oil, BPCL, and HPCL also plan to have EV charging facilities at 22,000 pumps over the next few years.