Bengaluru, 3 June

The country’s first solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station integrated with second-life battery storage was launched at the BESCOM EV Hub Charging Station in the City on Tuesday.

Renewable Energy to Electric Vehicle (RE2EV) Is a pilot project, which marks a major milestone in clean energy and green transport infrastructure. It was inaugurated by Energy Minister KJ George.

George noted that the integration of solar energy with second-life batteries ensures sustainable, grid-independent operation and improved charging access in a high-demand transit zone.

Supplier of the nine DC fast chargers for RE2EV, a 45 kWp rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system, feeds into a 100 kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) made of repurposed batteries, according to a press release issued by Delta Electronics India.

These batteries although can no longer be used in vehicles, retain enough capacity to store and discharge energy efficiently. The hub, situated near the airport, is capable of charging up to 23 vehicles simultaneously.

The project has been developed under the Green Urban Mobility Innovation Living Lab and supported by GIZ India, BESCOM, and DULT, as part of the SUM-ACA (Sustainable Urban Mobility – Air Quality, Climate Action, Accessibility) initiative, stated the press release.

Karnataka has over 5,880 EV charging stations -- 4,462 of which are in Bengaluru Urban district – of which 140 new chargers were added this year alone, the release said.

Information on the RE2EV hub, like location, availability, and rates, can be accessed via BESCOM’s “EV Mitra” app.