Mercedes suggests common platform for easy EV charging

The luxury automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz India has proposed the creation of a unified platform that would provide real-time information about all available charging stations operated by various service providers. This initiative aims to enhance convenience for electric vehicle owners.

Mercedes-Benz India's Managing Director and CEO, Santosh Iyer, emphasised that such a common application would significantly improve customer convenience and contribute to the increased adoption of electric vehicles in the country.

During an interview with PTI, Iyer highlighted the necessity of making charging infrastructure for electric vehicles more accessible to all. He stated, "Currently, if you purchase an electric car, you need to have 3-4 different applications on your mobile device. We are urging the government to develop something akin to a UPI-based system."

Iyer pointed out that while India is at the forefront of digital technology, the situation regarding charging still involves multiple applications. He noted, "These apps don't communicate with each other, and payment gateways are not synchronised. If this issue can be resolved, the convenience of owning electric vehicles will reach new heights."

Iyer added that Mercedes customers in Germany and many other parts of the world can make payments for various services, including charging, through a single application. However, he explained that in India, they are unable to fully implement this system due to the absence of a single charge point operator who can consolidate these services. He emphasised, "This is the request we keep making: make convenience the core aspect of EV ownership."

Iyer argued that if the system is made more user-friendly, customers will be more inclined to shift to electric vehicles. Conversely, if it remains complicated, they might choose to avoid the segment altogether. He stressed the need for government intervention to create a platform that includes all aggregators, stating, "Let's have at least one platform for payment and charging-related matters."

There were reports about the central government working on a master application to help customers locate the nearest charging stations on a map.

Iyer also commended the government's continued strong support for the electric vehicle segment, citing the recently launched PM E-Drive Scheme as an example. He revealed that electric vehicle sales accounted for approximately 2.5 per cent of the company's overall sales last year. This year, the contribution of electric vehicles has increased to 5 percent of total sales.

"This is a ray of hope we keep seeing... acceptance is increasing. Now we have six car lines. It's also a competitive market because there is a small set of customers who are shifting towards EVs," Iyer remarked.

Mercedes-Benz India currently offers six battery electric vehicles in its lineup. Two models - the EQS SUV 580 4MATIC and the EQS sedan - are manufactured at the company's Pune-based production facility.