MG To Set Up DC Fast Charging Stations Ahead Of eZS EV Launch

MG Motor will soon bring fast chargers to its dealerships in five major cities

• MG eZS electric SUV will be launched by December 2019.

• 50kW fast chargers to come up in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad by September.

• The fast chargers will be set up in association with Fortum Charge and Drive.

• MG fast chargers will be accessible to other EV owners with cars that comply with CCS/CHAdeMO charging standards.  

• Hyundai will set up its own fast charging setup for the Kona Electric at a few of its dealerships.

MG Motor, which plans to launch the eZS electric SUV in India by December 2019, has announced that it will soon set up 50kW fast charging stations across five Indian cities. These charging stations will come up at MG showrooms in Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad by September. The charging stations will be built in association with Fortum Charge and Drive, a Finland-based clean energy firm. 

The eZS will compete against the upcoming Hyundai Kona Electric and is likely to be priced upwards of the Rs 20 lakh mark. The SUV entered trial production earlier in June. Apart from eZS owners, the fast chargers will be open to other EV owners with cars that are compatible with CCS/CHAdeMO charging standards. The eZS is expected to have a range of more than 300km on a single charge and will get connectivity features powered by an eSIM like the MG Hector. 

Hyundai is set to take a similar approach with the Kona Electric, which is set to launch on July 9. The South Korean carmaker will introduce fast chargers at select dealerships in a few cities while the SUV will be sold in 16 major cities initially. The lack of adequate charging infrastructure is the main reason why EVs haven’t become popular in the country yet.

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The MG eZS will be followed by a huge pack of EVs, including the Nissan Leaf, Mahindra eKUV, Mahindra XUV300 EV, Tata Altroz EV, Tigor and Tiago EV along with a Maruti WagonR-based EV. A few premium EVs are also about to enter the market such as the Audi e-tron and the Mercedes-Benz EQC.