Indian automotive manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has signed an MOU with city gas distribution company Adani Total Gas' (ATGL) subsidiary, Adani Total Energies E-Mobility (ATEL), on Thursday.
The company statement, as reported by CNBC, indicates that the partnership is focused on expediting the uptake of EVs in India and detailing a plan for establishing a widespread EV charging network throughout the country.
The collaboration will also introduce e-mobility solutions to offer customers easy access to the charging network, including discovery, availability, navigation and transactions. Mahindra XUV400 owners will gain access to more than 1,100 chargers via the Bluesense+ app, which will significantly improve the convenience and accessibility of charging for Mahindra EV owners.
“This alliance is a cornerstone in enhancing the EV charging infrastructure, ensuring our customers enjoy seamless access to the charging network and digital integration for an unparalleled EV experience,” said Veejay Nakra, president of the automotive division at M&M.
Suresh P Manglani, executive director & CEO of Adani Total Gas, expressed his confidence in the collaboration with M&M, stating that it will not only “bolster the confidence of customers to embrace EV technology” but also underscore the commitment of both companies to the energy transition.
According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report, India's efforts to speed up its energy transition will result in significant oil savings in the forecast period. The increased adoption of EVs is expected to play a crucial role in decarbonising the transportation sector.
The agency estimates that the combined impact of new EVs and energy efficiency improvements will prevent an additional 480,000 barrels per day of oil demand between 2023 and 2030. Without these advancements, India's oil demand would reach 1.68 million barrels per day by 2030, much higher than the current forecast, it said.
The increased availability of natural gas has made it the preferred option for electricity generation in India due to lower carbon emissions compared with coal. The IEA said that electricity generation from gas in India totalled 61,725 gigawatt-hours in 2021, a 10% increase from 2000 to 2021.
In February 2024, ATEL, ATGL and INOXCVA agreed to provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid to compressed natural gas (LCNG) equipment and services to identify and explore potential collaboration opportunities to enhance the LNG ecosystem in the country.
As “preferred partners”, ATGL will have certain inherent project-level benefits, including preferential treatment and access to advanced scheduling, as well as consideration for collaborative opportunities for establishing LNG and LCNG stations, LNG satellite stations, transitioning to LNG as a transport fuel, LNG logistics and developing small-scale liquid hydrogen solutions for the industry.
“Our combined synergies, backed by expertise and scale of both the parties, will truly benefit the stakeholders in the economy in reducing emissions and make significant contributions towards the green transition,” Siddharth Jain, promoter and non-executive director of INOXCVA, said in February.
