[TusharK]

Bharat Petroleum has launched EV fast-charging corridors on the Chennai-Madurai highway. The company has installed CCS-2 DC fast chargers at 10 fuel bunks along the 900 km route on both sides of the highway.



BPCL plans to provide CCS-2 EV charging stations at its fuel pumps at periodic intervals on all major national highways connecting major cities and economic centres in the country. The Chennai-Trichy-Madurai highway is part of the first phase, which will be followed up by key routes.

As part of its plan, BPCL will be converting 7,000 conventional retail outlets into Energy Stations that will provide multiple fuelling options, including EV charging facilities in the medium to long term. The company will also roll out its chain of 'In & Out' convenience stores at key fuel stations on highways.

Link to Team-BHP News

[BAGAVADY]

What is the charger capacity?

[tirumalavoleti]

Glad to see the charging infra getting into foreground. I like the way BPCL is attaching food joints and clean rest rooms which makes the customers refresh while the EV charges. Two in one strategy. Hopeful to see All India highways having multiple fast charging stations.
The tomorrow of EV is approaching and we witness it LIVE.

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by BAGAVADY

What is the charger capacity?

3 pages of press release without the most useful specification. Welcome to oil companies promoting EV chargers . But still it is a good sign and I hope they expand further. And most importantly, others (HP. IndianOil) too soon will start expanding their fuel pump franchises with fast chargers. TN/Kerala seems to be getting a lot of major highways covered. Also the BPCL CCS chargers are listed on plugshare already, but without the charging power details.

[carthick1000]

UPDATE: I just mailed the contact person in the press release, asking what the charging power is and that was a quick reply.

25kW charging power for now.

[BAGAVADY]

Great.Probably they install 50 and 75 KW DC charger in the near future

[Kannan]

Is my following assumption correct?
Assuming a car like Nexon EV can do 150KMs from 80% to 20% SOC at 100kmph max speed, I guess travel from Chennai to Coimbatore might require at least 6 recharges at 1 hour per charging session correct?.

[DarthVeda]

you are taking the worst conditions of travelling but under those circumstances, it will be 4 sessions of 50 minutes each. as you would start with 100% or near full charge and end at destination with less than 20%, and wouldn't be charging again.

Then again, you can easily do this 900km stretch at 80kph speed, 3 charge sessions of 1 hour each. this is assuming min. 230km range is achieved on a single charge, which is easily doable.

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by Kannan

Is my following assumption correct?
Assuming a car like Nexon EV can do 150KMs from 80% to 20% SOC at 100kmph max speed, I guess travel from Chennai to Coimbatore might require at least 6 recharges at 1 hour per charging session correct?.

Chennai to Coimbatore is 500km as i see in Google. Even going by your assumption, it will be
1st charge at home
150km,
1st charge outside
150km
2nd charge outside
150km,
3rd charge outside
50km and your destination has arrived.

So it would be 3 charges.
However, the bigger concerning problem is whether the charger is immediately availability or not. If there are several cars lined up, then that would be a big non-deterministic factor . Perhaps apps can solve the problem in a way that you can book a slot before getting to that point ensuring a more predictable timing.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Bharat Petroleum has launched EV fast-charging corridors on the Chennai-Madurai highway

I just did a quick check on the locations - there is a huge gap between D and E (viz. Ulundurpet and Trichy), E and F (Trichy and Melur) and hope the gap is plugged soon.




Chargers at every 45 mins is a good thing but I am sure the most crowded of them all will be BP Ulundurpet because this is a preferred halt for most cars coming from south to Chennai, Salem to Chennai, Coimbatore to Chennai. It would be good if BP lines up more chargers in the vicinity of Vikravandi - Villupuram - Ulundurpet.

[Kannan]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Chennai to Coimbatore is 500km as i see in Google. Even going by your assumption, it will be
1st charge at home
150km,
1st charge outside
150km
2nd charge outside
150km,
3rd charge outside
50km and your destination has arrived.

So it would be 3 charges.
However, the bigger concerning problem is whether the charger is immediately availability or not. If there are several cars lined up, then that would be a big non-deterministic factor . Perhaps apps can solve the problem in a way that you can book a slot before getting to that point ensuring a more predictable timing.

I guess I was correct. Seems like a car with true highway range of 250KM should be okay for a range of 600KMs

[Kernelmann]

Originally Posted by vigsom

I just did a quick check on the locations - there is a huge gap between D and E (viz. Ulundurpet and Trichy), E and F (Trichy and Melur) and hope the gap is plugged soon.

Attachment 2274591
Attachment 2274585

Chargers at every 45 mins is a good thing but I am sure the most crowded of them all will be BP Ulundurpet because this is a preferred halt for most cars coming from south to Chennai, Salem to Chennai, Coimbatore to Chennai. It would be good if BP lines up more chargers in the vicinity of Vikravandi - Villupuram - Ulundurpet.

I just did this route. It's important to note that BPCL is only the new entrant and not the only player. This route is quite well served by Relux and Zeon. With more EVs, there is always a risk of the charger being occupied, but we hope charging infra will grow faster than EV sales.

[narayans80]

The 25 kw charging station is up and running on BPCL COCO Maraimalainagar. Just saw this on my refill about 30 minutes ago.