Jio-bp, the fuels and mobility JV between Reliance Industries and British Petroleum, has entered into a partnership with BluSmart, a homegrown electric ride-hailing platform, to set up a large-scale network of commercial EV charging stations.
As part of the partnership, Jio-bp will set up these stations for passenger EVs and EV fleets at “suitable locations” in the country where BluSmart operates. Both partners will collaborate on the planning, development, and execution of the project.
The first phase roll-out of the charging infra will take place in the National Capital Region. “The charging stations will be capable of accommodating a minimum of 30 electric vehicles at each station and will be concentrated in urban areas,” the companies announced.
Jio-bp revealed that this partnership is a step towards Reliance’s overall vision of offering “new age low-carbon emitting, cleaner, and more affordable options”, and aligns with its other initiatives in the clean energy space.
Harish C Mehta, CEO, Jio-bp, said in a statement,
“Leveraging bp’s learnings from the UK with bp Pulse, where they have the country’s largest EV charging network, from Germany through their Aral brand, Jio-bp intends to bring in the latest in EV technology to our consumers. In line with the new energy vision of RIL, our advanced mobility teams are working tirelessly to create cleaner and smarter ways for Indians to travel.”
Anmol Jaggi, Co-founder and CEO, BluSmart, added, “BluSmart operates large EV charging ‘Superhubs’ powering the burgeoning EV fleet. Our partnership with Jio-bp is a true testament of our ability to provide world-class EV charging infrastructure solutions for India. EV Superhubs are the future of EV charging as it provides seamless charging access to consumers and ride-hailing fleets, and we will be jointly building some of the largest EV Superhubs in the world.”
As an integrated EV infrastructure player, Jio-bp is actively partnering with various OEMs, technology, and platform players for setting up its fixed EV charging stations with a “format-specific approach for all vehicle categories”.
Earlier in August, it also announced a partnership with Swiggy to electrify its delivery fleet. Jio-bp will also provide technical assistance and training to Swiggy delivery partners and other staff.
