Two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp has partnered with Ather Energy for an interoperable fast-charging network in the country, the company said in a regulatory filing with the BSE on Wednesday, December 6. The partnership will allow EV users to use both VIDA and Ather Grids across the country. The combined network will cover 100 cities with more than 1,900 fast-charging points.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recently approved the Light Electric Combined Charging System (LECCS), which can operate on both AC and DC and can be used for charging light electric vehicles. The combined network utilises the approved charging system. The collaboration will make it the largest EV charging ecosystem in the country.
The partnership is likely to augment the growth of electric vehicle adoption in India. The network of charging stations will be available to be located through the applications “My VIDA” and the Ather App. The interoperability will ensure that the users are shown only the compatible stations. Besides locating the station, the app will help users check the nearest charging station, view availability, and get navigation to the station.
Chief Business Officer (CBO) of Emerging Mobility BU, Hero MotoCorp, Swadesh Srivastava, said, “We are happy to extend our association with Ather Energy through this interoperable fast-charging network. VIDA’s brand promise is building a “Worry-free EV ecosystem”, and this largest charging network in the country will go a long way in providing a seamless & convenient ownership experience to customers. This fastest-growing network utilises the government-approved connector standard, thus ensuring current and future customers will be able to use and charge their vehicles without any hassles in the future. I congratulate the teams at Ather and VIDA for setting yet another global benchmark in the two-wheeler space.”
Co-founder and CTO of Ather Energy, Swapnil Jain, said, “We are happy to partner with Hero MotoCorp for setting the stage for an interoperable fast-charging network. It’s a massive win for Indian OEMs to collaborate on scaling up charging infrastructure. This partnership will pave the way for consumers to access an extensive network of charging stations across the country, alleviating range anxiety.
‘Increasing demand for SUVs major road safety, environmental challenge’ Given the technical superiority of LECCS and the fact that it was Made in India for India, we believe more OEMs will find it lucrative to adopt this standard. Today we are also committing that any OEM that adopts the LECCS standard will have access to Ather Grid across India. With this interoperability, we are already demonstrating how it is beneficial for all OEMs to be on one standard. We believe that public charging infrastructure for two-wheelers is now set for collaborative expansion.”
