Pralhad Joshi asks corporates to use solar power for EV charging

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday urged corporates to use solar power to charge electric vehicles, thereby reducing oil imports and cutting emissions.

Speaking at the launch of Refex Mobility's operations here, the Minister for New & Renewable Energy said the move would help unlock the potential of electric vehicles in the country.

"To truly unlock the promise of electric vehicles and smart energy-efficient transportation, we must ensure they are powered by the Sun," Joshi said.

He further said: "I urge corporates to lead the way by adopting solar-based charging for their EV fleets, thereby reducing oil imports, cutting emissions, and building greener, healthier cities in line with their ESG commitment." Through a dedicated scheme, the government is empowering the entire EV ecosystem by offering up to 80 per cent of the project cost for both EV owners and those setting up the vital charging infrastructure, the minister said.

"We are also laying the groundwork for the next frontier...clean operating green hydrogen," Joshi said.

Refex Mobility has an electric car fleet of over 1,400 units catering to over 70 corporates across Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

The Chennai-based firm is supported by over 200 employees and tech- enabled transport management system.

It plans to deploy over 400 new electric cars in Delhi-NCR within the next three years.

"Within a couple of quarters, we will create one of the largest corporate clean-mobility fleets in the region," Refex Group CMD Anil Jain said.

Expanding into Delhi-NCR is a springboard to scale into Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities nationwide, the company stated. PTI MSS ANU ANU