According to reports from Business Standard, Ravindra Energy's associate company, Energy In Motion (EIM), has executed an agreement with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) to establish and operate fast charging cum battery swapping infrastructure for heavy commercial vehicles at select HPCL retail outlets across India. The partnership leverages HPCL's extensive retail network to accelerate electric vehicle adoption in the commercial sector, with the collaboration specifically targeting India's growing electric commercial vehicle ecosystem.
As reported by Business Standard, HPCL operates a network of over 25,000 retail outlets nationwide, including locations on all major highways and expressways. Under the agreement, EIM will deploy charging and battery swapping infrastructure at HPCL retail outlets in a phased rollout. The first phase of deployment focuses on three high-traffic freight corridors—Mumbai-Pune, Delhi-Jaipur, and Chennai-Bengaluru over the next 18 to 24 months, with further expansion planned across other logistics routes thereafter.
According to Business Standard, the stations will serve electric commercial vehicles and will be integrated with EIM's technology platform for real-time availability, digital payments and remote monitoring. This technology integration ensures seamless operations and enhanced customer experience for commercial vehicle operators using the charging infrastructure. The stations will feature battery swapping capabilities, allowing drivers to replace a depleted battery with a fully charged one in around seven minutes, significantly reducing downtime and improving fleet productivity on long-distance routes.
Under the collaborative agreement, EIM will own and manage the battery inventory, charging equipment, and battery swapping systems, while HPCL will provide space, power connectivity, utilities, and essential facilities at its retail outlets. This model enables quicker deployment while leveraging HPCL's extensive nationwide network and EIM's expertise in electric fleet operations and battery infrastructure. EIM has already commissioned six heavy-duty battery swapping stations in the Delhi-NCR region and the JNPA port area, together supporting up to 840 battery swaps per day.
As reported by Business Standard, this partnership positions Energy In Motion to establish a significant presence in India's growing electric commercial vehicle charging infrastructure. The collaboration with HPCL's extensive retail network provides a strategic advantage for expanding EV charging accessibility along major freight corridors across the country. Looking ahead, EIM targets 40 operational heavy commercial vehicle swap-cum-charging stations by March 2027, with the initiative expected to improve charging accessibility, support fleet operators, and encourage wider adoption of electric heavy commercial vehicles across India's logistics sector.
