MG Motor India Installs First Fast Charging Station For EVs In Gurugram

MG Motor India is gearing up to introduce the ZS EV in the country in December, and ahead of the launch of the upcoming electric SUV, the carmaker has installed its first fast charging station in the country. The new 50 kW DC fast charging station is located at the company's flagship dealership in Gurugram, and has been installed in collaboration with Finland-based clean energy major Fortum.

Under the partnership between MG Motor and Fortum, the latter has installed four public 50 kW fast charging stations located in South Delhi, West Delhi, Noida and Gurugram. In addition, six more public 50 KW DC fast chargers have been installed at MG's dealer locations in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. MG says the smart chargers can be accessed by an EV user owning vehicles compatible with CCS/CHAdeMO charging standards and by registering with Fortum Charge & Drive India through its mobile app.

Speaking at the installation of the first first charging station, Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India, said, “With an aim to be the leader in the EV segment in India, we are pulling out all stops to ensure adequate charging infrastructure for our first EV customers. Our endeavour is to create a robust ecosystem for EVs, right from charging to end-of-life for electric vehicles in India and the installation of the first public fast charger is the first major step in this direction. The upcoming launch of the MG ZS EV is aligned with the government's long-term objective to have more electric vehicles on the road in the next few years."

Commenting on the occasion, Sanjay Aggarwal, Managing Director, Fortum India, said, “Fortum has a vision to make world cleaner. We are happy to establish India's first public charging network of 50 KW DC chargers in partnership with MG. We have already witnessed an uptake in adoption of electric vehicles in the last one year through our existing charging network of 15/20 DC001 Chargers. This collaboration will further bolster this growth. As one of the key players, we are constantly evaluating the Indian market for charging infrastructure and will continue to give a pleasant charging experience to EV users through our partnership like one with MG.”

With the electric boom waiting to hit the Indian auto sector, it is imperative that carmakers also create the necessary charging network and ecosystem for electric vehicles to survive. In addition to Fortum, the automaker has partnered with Delta Electronics to install AC chargers in its showrooms and workshops across India, as well as private vehicle parking locations such as homes and offices. It also announced a tie-up with Delhi-based eChargeBays to assist customers in setting up charging stations at their homes.

Taking a bold step, MG Motor will be introducing the ZS EV on December 5, 2019, which is brand's second offering in the country. India gets the same model as the one sold in the UK and the electric motor churns out about 141 bhp and 353 Nm of peak torque. The MG ZS EV will use a 44.5 kWh battery pack with a range of 300 km on a single charge. The lithium-ion unit can be charged up to 80 per cent in 40 minutes with a 50 kW DC charger, or takes up to seven hours with a standard 7 kW charger.