Bharat Charge Alliance to Set Up Over 5000 Public Charging Stations by FY26

The Bharat Charge Alliance (BCA) has announced to establish more than 5000 public charging stations across India, by FY26.

BCA is an industry-led initiative focusing on creating a standardized, accessible, and reliable charging infrastructure for Light EVs in the country. By promoting interoperability, the Alliance aims to ensure that EV owners can seamlessly charge their vehicles across a network of stations, regardless of the vehicle’s make or model.

The Alliance members compromise of Log9, Trinity Cleantech, Altigreen, ETO Motors, Pulse Energy, ChargeZone with its mobility platform Billion Electric and EVnnovator along with Tork Motors have come together to unite their forces under the Bharat Charge Alliance umbrella. The collaboration is aimed at establishing an interoperable charging network that promises to transform the EV landscape, particularly for two- and three-wheelers, across the country.

Recently, Log9 Materials, a battery technology company, and Trinity Cleantech, a leader in sustainable energy solutions, have already announced their partnership as members of the Bharat Charge Alliance. Under this agreement, Trinity, under its brand name Thunder+ plans to set up 2,000 public charging stations across India by the end of next fiscal year.

This collaboration is aimed at promoting the Type 6 (IS 17017-2-6) DC fast chargers, building an interoperable charging network under BCA’s LEV DC (IS 17017-25 adopted) standard and Unified Energy Interface (UEI) based payment mechanism powered by Beckn protocol that not only supports the growing demand for EVs but also aligns with India’s sustainability goals.

Recently, on the occasion of National Science Day, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, released a whitepaper titled ‘Evolution: Catalysing Technology-Led Ecosystem for e-Mobility: Contexts, Challenges, and Imperatives’. This paper also endorsed the collaboration for interoperable charging infrastructure and mentions IS 17017-25 and UEI adoption.

The Type 6 connector which can support up to 125A continuous charging current is also gaining popularity among e3W (L5) OEMs like Altigreen, ETO Motors and Surja Automotive whose vehicles have larger battery packs. Moreover, the connector is globally approved and is now locally manufactured by top connector makers in the country which is helping in reducing the cost.

ARAI, India’s leading testing and certification Agency has already built the validation and testing capability for IS 17017-2-6 connector and IS 17017-25 protocol.