Indian electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider ChargeMOD has announced that it is working on the concept of “community charging stations” to make EV charging more accessible as well as affordable. With increased sales for electric vehicles, EV charging stations are needed.

EV owners have to wait for their turn to get the battery packs of their vehicles replenished. Under the concept of community charging stations, people will not have to just wait to get their EVs charged as charging stations will be set up at shops, cafes, restaurants, or wherever it’s possible. Thus, the number of charging stations will significantly increase, and users will be able to charge their EVs while shopping, having tea or food. ChargeMOD aims to complete the project by the end of current year.

Founded by engineering graduates Chris Thomas, M Ramanunni, and Anoop V; ChargeMOD claims that the startup developed the required hardware on its own, which helped them to slash down the manufacturing cost by around 33 per cent.

The Kozhikode, Kerala-based startup aims to set up EV charging points at shops and other businesses, creating a networking of around 250 such stations across the South Indian state.

Mr. Ramanunni, chief executive officer (CEO) of chargeMOD, said the notable surge in the number of EVs in the state encouraged them to launch their startup ‘chargeMOD’ in 2018. After graduating from Kozhikode-based Government Engineering College, Mr. Ramanunni teamed up with others to found the startup. Initially, they focused on developing control and ecosystem software for charging stations, but gradually changed their focus to hardware. Soon, the team was ready with their first 22kW AC charging machine in the city, which has obtained certification from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

Announcing the EV charging project, Mr. Ramanunni said, “Through this project, charging stations will be set up at shops, restaurants, cafes … This will also help in increasing the business of establishments. The project will be effectively supported by ‘ChargeMOD’ app which enables any customer to locate and access all EV charging stations.”

The top executive also revealed that the startup is currently developing EV chargers with capacity ranging from 3.3kW to 22kW.

Customers will be allowed to choose a charging package. Choosing a subscription plan of Rs 855, for instance, will allow a customer to charge up to 91 units. Top-up plans will also be offered in case the main package gets exhausted within the period.