Jio-bp, the operating brand of Reliance BP Mobility Ltd -- a joint venture of Reliance Industries and bp, announced on Tuesday that it has signed an MoU with electric vehicle (EV) leasing platform DRIVN to explore opportunities to strengthen charging infrastructure across India for commercial EVs, including trucks and buses. According to reports from Business Standard, ANI, and ETAuto, the collaboration brings together DRIVN's commercial EV leasing capabilities and Jio-bp's charging network to address the evolving needs of fleet operators and support the expansion of commercial electric mobility. Jio-bp has developed one of India's largest fast EV charging networks with a focus on electric buses and trucks, segments aligned with the objectives of India's PM E-DRIVE initiative. As part of this effort, priority pan-India corridors and locations have been electrified to support commercial EV operations.
Under the MoU, Jio-bp and DRIVN will evaluate the integration of Jio-bp's charging network with DRIVN's leasing platform, which may include making charging locations more accessible to fleet drivers through the leasing platform. As reported by Business Standard, ANI, and ETAuto, the partnership will also explore preferential charging tariffs and turnkey EV charging projects across selected cities and highways. The collaboration will explore enhanced charging-location discoverability for fleet drivers, making it easier for commercial EV operators to find and access charging infrastructure. This comprehensive approach aims to provide fleet operators with streamlined access to charging infrastructure that meets their operational requirements, with the proposed collaboration focused on addressing charging requirements based on commercial EV routes, battery capacities and operating patterns.
The partnership comes as electric commercial vehicle retail sales experienced a remarkable surge of 188.3% year-on-year and 32.23% month-on-month to 4,702 units in August, marking the highest monthly level recorded for the segment according to Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). As reported by ANI, their share in commercial vehicle retail increased to 5.18% from 2.06% a year earlier, representing a significant shift in the commercial vehicle market. "The clear standout is Electric Commercial Vehicles, which touched an all-time monthly high of 4,702 units — the single best month in our entire series — nearly trebling year-on-year to a 5.18% share," said Giridhar from FADA. The broader trend indicates that EV sales are staying close to recent record levels despite softer overall auto retail, with electric mobility "consolidating at a new plateau."
Alpna Jain, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at DRIVN, emphasized that as commercial EVs become a larger part of fleet operations, charging infrastructure must keep pace with where and how these vehicles are used. According to Business Standard, ANI, and ETAuto, Jain noted that for buses and trucks, the location of a charger and the route it serves can directly affect operations. "As commercial EVs become a larger part of fleet operations, charging infrastructure has to keep pace with where and how these vehicles are used," Jain stated. Sarthak Behuria, Chairman at Jio-bp, highlighted that commercial fleets, particularly electric buses and trucks, are an important part of India's transition to electric mobility and require charging infrastructure suited to their operational needs.
Akshay Wadhwa, CEO at Jio-bp, highlighted that with DRIVN, they are further strengthening their focus on commercial fleets, which have distinct needs shaped by routes, battery capacities and operating patterns. As reported by Business Standard, ANI, and ETAuto, this MoU allows them to address those needs directly while exploring practical charging and financing solutions for fleet operators. "The partnership will allow the companies to explore charging and financing solutions tailored to the requirements of commercial fleets," Wadhwa explained. "Together, we aim to make reliable charging more accessible for electric buses and trucks," the company stated. The partnership aims to lay the groundwork for a charging ecosystem built to support the scale and operational demands of India's growing electric bus and truck ecosystem, particularly as the commercial EV segment continues to demonstrate exceptional growth momentum.
