Hindustan Petroleum & VoltUp Partners To Setup Battery Swapping Stations Across India

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has announced its partnership with VoltUp, a product and service-based start-up in the EV space. The partnership aims to set up battery swapping stations for electric two and three-wheelers across the country.

Hindustan Petroleum & VoltUp Partners To Setup Battery Swapping Stations Across India: Details

VoltUp will be setting up a battery-swapping station at select HPCL petrol pumps. The swapping stations have already been set up in Jaipur. Further, the partnership aims to increase the swapping stations to 50 across the country in the next six months.

The partnership aims to leverage the countrywide network of HPCL and technological advancements of VoltUp in the field of battery swapping technologies. With battery swapping stations, EV users can change their old battery for a fully charged pack one at the station to have the full range. The whole process takes just 2-minutes and will avoid long wait times for the battery to charge.

Hindustan Petroleum & VoltUp Partners To Setup Battery Swapping Stations Across India: Details

VoltUp aims to overcome the lack of charging infrastructure, high cost of adoption, and long charging time for EVs with the battery swapping solution. The company would provide the advanced lithium-ion battery to OEMs, and other EV players in the country to integrate it on their vehicles.

In return, customers will have access to the network of battery swapping stations present across the country. Via a smartphone application, the user can check for a fully-charged battery at the nearest swapping station, making the whole process hassle-free.

Hindustan Petroleum & VoltUp Partners To Setup Battery Swapping Stations Across India: Details

According to the company's statement, "The partnership has unveiled 2 battery swapping stations in Jaipur. In their efforts to set up smart electric mobility stations across India for e-vehicles, the partnership looks to open 50 such battery swapping solutions centres across India in the next six months. To plug these gaps, VoltUp and HPCL have come together towards setting and scaling up infrastructure - bridging the gap for network, energy and technology."

It further stated that "The service networks will provide complete maintenance, service support to all e-vehicles. Advanced lithium batteries will be provided as a subscription to lower the initial investment in the EVs."

Hindustan Petroleum & VoltUp Partners To Setup Battery Swapping Stations Across India: Details

Announcing the partnership, Siddharth Kabra, CEO VoltUp, said: "HPCL, an already active player in the EV segment, recognises the importance of swapping infrastructure in sync with their current model of instant fuelling. This resonates with VoltUp's business model of instant swap on a pay as you go basis thus also addressing the challenge of the higher upfront cost of EV's."

Hindustan Petroleum & VoltUp Partners To Setup Battery Swapping Stations Across India: Details

He further added, "With its deep understanding and expertise in solar, the startup intends to integrate green energy for charging batteries and thus providing a completely green solution to the EV industry. With a quick to use smart battery swapping networks being set up under tie-up with HPCL, it will promote the end-users to find a fully charged battery within their neighbourhood. This will also act as a catalyst in pushing the envelope of smart mobility in India."

Hindustan Petroleum & VoltUp Partners To Setup Battery Swapping Stations Across India: Details

Thoughts About The Hindustan Petroleum Partnering with VoltUp To Setup Battery Swapping Stations Across India

The battery swapping solution is a more affordable way of increasing the range of an electric vehicle. Within a matter of a few minutes, the EV user can increase the range from 0 to 100 per cent by swapping for a new battery. It will overcome the need for technologies related to rapid fast charging. However, the battery pack has to be generalized by manufacturers and OEMs for the swapping format to work for all EVs.

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Article Published On: Tuesday, December 29, 2020, 16:07 [IST]
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