Mercedes-Benz India has asked for the development of a single platform that would streamline the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the country. “A standardized centralised system like what Unified Payments Interface does is precisely what could dramatically up the convenience quotient of owning and running electric vehicles,” says luxury automaker. The company, appealing to the government, said that a proposed solution bringing real-time information regarding charging stations and online payments can bridge the gap to mass adoption of electric vehicles in India.
. Simplified Charging Infrastructure Needed
Talking to PTI, Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Santosh Iyer said, “At this point in time, one of the bigger challenges for EV users is in terms of charging. The entire process for an EV user will be to download lots of apps for different charging stations. So, finding the chargers and making payment for it all will be complex.”.
“Today, if you buy an electric car, you need 3-4 different apps on your phone. What we are requesting the government is to come up with something like a UPI-based system,” he said. Speaking about India’s digital technology strength and yet something that still lacks full play in the nation’s EV charging ecosystem, he says, “The strength that India has in digital technology, that wasn’t enough played by the country on the EV charging networks.”
A UPI-Like Solution for Charging Networks
Iyer views an opportunity for a platform that may very well become the one stop shop for all EV owners, combining many charging service providers into one application. It could provide real-time information of the available charging stations; payments could go through with networks without needing contact with the charging station vendor themselves and could presumably improve customer experience a great deal.
Today, with so many apps to handle, the lack of interaction between them leads to inefficiencies in payment processes and updates on station availability. According to Iyer, this “fragmentation” is a challenge to the growth of EVs in India since it is likely to discourage some buyers in the face of all the inconvenience created.
“They don’t talk to each other. Payment gateways are not in sync. If it can be solved, the convenience of EVs will be next level,” said Iyer.
He also said that this is the situation in most other countries where charging of EVs is much more integrated and pointed out that Mercedes customers in Germany can pay for a wide range of services including charging using a single app. “We need an integrated such system in India to enhance the overall experience of owni ng an electric vehicle.” Iyer emphasized.
Govt Support for EV growth
In other words, the Indian government has been quite proactive on the EV front, as reflected in the PM E-Drive Scheme, intended to popularize electric vehicles. He duly admitted that but said that the country would have to do a lot more to trim the charging infrastructure if it wanted to see widespread adoption of EVs.
“If the system becomes convenient then all the customers will move to EVs, but if it remains inconvenient, then they might not want to enter the segment,” said Iyer. He also pointed out that an integrated system of charging and payment would be a new gateway for the industry.
There have been reports that the central government is also developing a master app that will help the owner of an EV identify charging stations in the neighborhood, but such a platform hasn’t materialized yet. According to Iyer, what the government needs is to aggregate all service providers into one platform that makes sure it’s interoperable and easy to use.
“Let’s have at least one platform for payment and charging stuff,” Iyer said, appealed to both the governments and private sector aggregators to make this vision come true.
Looking back on the past, a growing number of clients for Mercedes-Benz India is reported in the burgeoning EV sales.
The challenges in the infrastructure notwithstanding, Mercedes-Benz India has steadily seen the adoption of EVs in their customer bases. Electric vehicles comprised around 2.5% of the company’s total sales last year. This year that number has increased to 5% and it signals an acceptance level that’s increasing in luxury car markets.
“That’s the ray of hope that you keep seeing—acceptance is increasing,” says Iyer. Still, he conceded that the market was tough, and the extent of customer switch to EVs was minuscule.
Currently, Mercedes-Benz India sells six battery electric vehicles, and both the car version of the EQS as well as the EQS SUV 580 4MATIC roll out from its local facility in Pune. The company hopes that with continued government support and infra improvements, the percentage of EVs in total sales will continue rising in the coming years.
Charging Infrastructure is Key to Future Growth:
As the Indian automobile market swives toward electric mobility, charging infrastructure is going to prove critical in how fast the transition takes place. Iyer’s call for a UPI-like platform reflects industry-wide sentiment that making EVs more convenient to charge and maintain will be a necessary step to increase adoption rates.
This will go with a unified charging system, one that should be implemented from day one in favor of increased charging stations across the country. More charging points, along with better technology to track their availability and make payments, would alleviate range anxiety and really make EVs a more viable option for the average Indian consumer.
While Mercedes-Benz India continues to muscle for innovations in the EV market, all such efforts made by the company for advocating a more streamlined charging experience will surely go a long way in the growth of electric vehicles in the country. Well, more luxury carmakers like Mercedes-Benz investing in electric technology has much promise for sustainable mobility in India, if infrastructure improvement does not work out that well.
Source : PTI