MG and Fortum announce installation of first public 50 kW DC Fast Charging Station in Gurugram

Underlining its commitment towards catalysing an EV revolution, MG (Morris Garages) Motor India and Fortum Charge & Drive India unveiled the first 50 kW DC charging station at MG’s flagship showroom at Gurugram.

The charging station has been installed by Finland-based clean energy major Fortum and was unveiled and operationalised for public use by Mr. Anil Shrivastava, IAS, Principal Consultant & MD, Mission on Transformative Mobility & Battery Storage, NITI Aayog, ahead of the launch of MG Motor's first pure electric car - the MG ZS EV, in December 2019.

Under the partnership, starting with the national capital, Fortum has installed four public 50 kW fast charging stations in South Delhi, West Delhi, Noida & Gurugram respectively. Besides, six more public 50 KW DC fast chargers have been installed at MG's Dealer locations in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. 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.

“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,” said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India.

Speaking on the fast charger installation, Mr. Anil Shrivastava, IAS, Principal Consultant & MD, Mission on Transformative Mobility & Battery Storage, NITI Aayog, said, “Cleaner fuels are the need of the hour in the automotive industry and India is ripe for an EV disruption. The carmakers, government and service providers need to work together to assure users of best-in-class support infrastructure to drive EV adoption, starting with Delhi-NCR region.”

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. 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.”

The move further underscores MG Motor India's vision of catalysing and accelerating the country's EV transformation by creating an ecosystem for EVs in India. In addition to Fortum, the brand 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. The carmaker has also partnered with Delhi-based eChargeBays to assist its customers in setting up infrastructure at their home for charging their EVs.