The joint action project ‘JOULE’ (Joint Operation Unifying Last-mile Electrification) by the Climate Pledge aims to support 5,500 EVs in Bengaluru by 2030. This will help avoid an estimated 25,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Additionally, JOULE will also help save approximately 11.2 million litres of fuel.
Supported by Pledge signatories including Amazon, Mahindra Logistics, Uber, HCLTech, Greenko and Deloitte, as well as industry partners Kazam and Magenta Mobility, the shared charging stations have been powered by renewable energy and will support about 5,500 electric vehicles in Bengaluru by 2030.
Pledge signatories and partners will collectively invest over US$2.65 million into the project by 2030.
Interestingly all these companies will work together to optimise the usage of the EV charging stations, combining the charging needs of their EV fleets to ensure the infrastructure is well utilised.
Industry partner Kazam, an India-based EV charging platform, will build a network of shared charging stations. The project will also be supported by renewable energy provider Greenko and consulting partner Deloitte.
As part of this project, the first EV charging station at Doddakallasandra in Bengaluru has become fully operational. The project aims to build five more charging stations in Bengaluru by the end of this year, with plans to expand further in order to meet the growing demand for local EV infrastructure.
In order to maximize utilisation, the infrastructure will also be available for other companies to charge their fleet vehicles during the day. All of the electricity used by the charging stations (projected to reach 22,700 megawatt-hours of power) will be matched with 100 per cent renewable energy, amounting to an estimated 6.2 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
By the same year, the project is also expected to save over 11.2 million litres of fuel and abate an estimated 25,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Beyond reducing tailpipe emissions, the project is expected to create an estimated 185 full-time jobs in Bengaluru between 2024-2030.
"Establishing a shared network of EV charging stations in Bengaluru is a significant step towards achieving our national goal of increasing electric vehicle adoption, and we are supportive of this innovation. This initiative will enhance the accessibility of EV infrastructure and demonstrate the power of public-private partnerships in driving India's transition to a more sustainable future,” remarked Gunjan Krishna, Industries Commissioner, Government of Karnataka.
According to a Deloitte White Paper, for India to achieve its goal of having EV sales account for 30 per cent of all new vehicle sales by 2030, the country will require a ratio of 1 station per 20 vehicles.
However, the current ratio is approximately one charging station per 135 EVs which is significantly lower than this and hinders the country’s transition to EVs. As per the White Paper, there are challenges, such as the lack of EV charging stations, uncertainty in utilisation rates, and range anxiety, coupled with hesitance from businesses to install charging stations due to high capital costs and the lack of awareness of benefits, remain concerns for prospective EV owners.
JOULE aims to address these challenges by establishing dedicated charging stations that will offer priority access, security services, essential amenities, and dedicated parking slots for corporate consumers. By bringing together companies on both the demand and supply sides and aggregating usage demand, the project also provides greater certainty on the utilisation rate and financial viability of the infrastructure.
“JOULE will help us advance our goal of deploying 10,000 EVs in India by 2025. We have over 7,300 EVs in our India operations and we are on track to achieve this and remain committed to collaborating with manufacturers, delivery service providers, and others to scale EV adoption,” said Abhinav Singh, VP of Operations at Amazon India.
Last year, the Climate Pledge announced the Laneshift initiative – committing $10 million to C40 Cities to kickstart the development and deployment of zero-emission electric trucks and charging infrastructure across major cities in India and Latin America.
In India, Laneshift will accelerate the development of the EV infrastructure and the deployment of EV vehicles across Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Pune, helping to reduce emissions, clean up the air and generate new jobs.
