Bengaluru has inaugurated a new solar-powered electric vehicle charging station, named the ‘Renewable Energy to Electric Vehicle (RE2EV)’ hub, as part of its push toward sustainable urban mobility. Located at Galamma Circle near Kempegowda International Airport, the RE2EV hub can charge up to 23 EVs simultaneously and operates independently of the local coal-powered grid.
The facility includes 18 fast-charging points and five slow-charging points, primarily serving electric four-wheelers. Nine of the charging units are DC fast chargers—five rated at 50 kW and four at 30 kW—supplied by domestic EV charging manufacturer Delta Electronics. A 45 kWp rooftop solar photovoltaic system powers the station, which in turn charges a 100 kWh battery energy storage system (BESS) made of repurposed EV batteries. These second-life batteries, no longer fit for automotive use, provide a cost-effective solution for storing solar energy and reducing grid reliance.
Users can access the charging points through a QR code and pay using WhatsApp, with rates significantly lower than those at private facilities. The RE2EV hub is part of a pilot project under the Green Urban Mobility Innovation Living Lab, a collaborative effort by the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), and German development agency GIZ.
Bengaluru, often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, has been a front-runner in EV adoption and infrastructure development. The city currently hosts 4,462 of Karnataka’s 5,880 EV charging stations. Officials hope the RE2EV model will serve as a blueprint for net-zero charging stations in other urban and peri-urban regions across the country.