The next time you drive through Manali-Leh, you can see EV charging stations!
Shuchi Anant Virya, a joint venture company between India’s largest EV-based mobility solutions provider, Lithium Urban Technologies, and Fourth Partner Energy, a solar energy company for commercial and industrial businesses has set up a network of electric vehicle charging points along the Manali-Leh route in the Ladakh region.
The PowerBank team installed 18 EV charging stations along 1800 km in 10 days, of which 15 of them were set up at locations with a height of 10,000 to 14,000 feet above mean sea level.
The entire road trip was successfully completed driving electric cars that were charged at the installed charging points.
The chargers installed were a mix of Type-I and Type-II AC chargers catering to electric two, three and four-wheelers.
With the rise of travellers and tourists along this scenic Himalayan route, pollution caused by fuel combustion has increased significantly, leading to severe environmental degradation.
Sanjay Krishnan, Founder, Lithium Urban Technologies, said, “Through this initiative, PowerBank’s primary goal is to ensure that we convert at least 50% of the vehicular traffic to EVs and significantly reduce tailpipe emissions in the Ladakh regions in the next 36-48 months. We also seek to bring about a paradigm shift in how people perceive EVs by addressing apprehensions around the availability of energy for long hauls and overnight road trips.”
Vivek Subramanian, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Fourth Partner Energy said, “India is making significant strides on the EV manufacturing front, but there is a lot of ground to cover on the infrastructure front. Through PowerBank, we are looking to cover the length and breadth of the country with accessible, affordable EV charging points that are easy to use. Our chargers are integrated with an app that enhances the customer’s EV experience. For the PowerBank team, the successful installation of these chargers reflects our execution expertise – if we can electrify India’s toughest terrain, the rest of the country is just work-in-progress.”
The joint venture has installed 18 AC electric vehicle chargers along the route of Manali – Leh – Kargil – Nubra – Turtuk – Pangong – Siachen Base Camp, home to not just India’s but some of the world’s highest motorable roads including the Khardung La, Chang La and Taglang La passes.
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