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 here on Tuesday.
The pilot project, Renewable Energy to Electric Vehicle (RE2EV), which marks a major milestone in clean energy and green transport infrastructure, was inaugurated by Karnataka’s Energy Minister K J 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.
According to a press release issued by Delta Electronics India, 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 up of repurposed batteries.
These batteries, added the press release, 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 across the state — 4,462 of which are in Bengaluru Urban district — and 140 new chargers added this year alone, added the release.
Information on the RE2EV hub, like location, availability, and rates, can be accessed via BESCOM’s “EV Mitra” app.
