In an interview with Machine Edge Global exclusive, Akihiro Ueda, CEO of Terra Charge India, shares insights into transforming EV charging infrastructure in India. From tackling range anxiety and accessibility issues to introducing innovative solutions, Terra Charge has been pivotal in advancing the country’s e-mobility landscape.
Ueda highlights key milestones, sustainability initiatives, and the company’s vision for expanding EV adoption. Dive in as he discusses the challenges, opportunities, and future of EV charging in India.
What inspired you to focus on EV charging infrastructure, and how has the market evolved since you started?
We began the Terra Charge division with the goal of offering electric vehicle charging services in the Indian EV market. During our planning stage, we noticed that e-mobility has a huge untapped market in India, but the limitation in charging infrastructure hampered its potential. Issues such as limited awareness about the long-term financial and environmental benefits of EVs, riders’ range anxiety, long charging durations, and sparse EV charging hubs were rampant when we started. However, we were quick to realise that while people were interested in EVs, they hesitated due to the lack of convenient charging solutions. We saw this as an opportunity to popularise advanced charging infrastructure and used our expertise to develop efficient solutions.
The recent efforts of the government to boost EV penetration and OEM campaigns have piqued interest among consumers to embrace EVs. This interest has sparked the demand for fast and accessible charging solutions, driving us to focus more on R&D to build what EV users want. We also relied on our EV expertise to create tailored chargers for every requirement.
Our first charging stations were based in Delhi NCR. Since then, we have expanded to multiple states and installed over 400 charging points in the country. While this reflects our company’s growth, it highlights the changing landscape of the EV market. Hence, we can say that today, the EV ecosystem in India is in a much better position. Then again, we still have a long way to go, especially if we factor in the government’s ambitious 2030 goal.
Our chargers cater to diverse needs—fleets, residential societies, and personal parking spaces. How do you ensure that these solutions meet the unique requirements of different users?
One thing that the Terra Charge team has always believed is that a one-size-fits-all solution does not apply to electric vehicles, especially in a country like India. This is why our R&D team from Japan researched the niche charging requirements of fleets, residential societies, commercial properties, and personal parking lots to craft suitable solutions.
Based on their results, we have developed two new in-house 3.3kW EV chargers—Kiwami and Takumi. While Kiwami is designed for fleet operators, Takumi is suitable for premium properties and hotel parking lots. Additionally, our DC 30 kW fast charger, Taka, has been built to meet the high-speed charging demands of electric four-wheelers.
We take our research, market expertise, and customer feedback seriously. This is why our chargers aim to address fast charging issues such as charging efficiency, application glitches, and even payment lags completely. Besides these, our focus on improving our expert after-sales support continues to help us simplify the charging experience.
Can you share any significant milestones Terra Charge India has achieved that you are particularly proud of?
The last two years have been quite eventful for us, and we are grateful for the constant support we have garnered from industry stakeholders. One of our recent milestones includes the establishment of our new R&D facility in Kolkata. It is a significant milestone, as the in-house facility plays a key role in the research, design, and testing process.
Another key development has been our new public charging hub in Ghaziabad, one of the largest in India and featuring 71 chargers. This project has helped us advance our goal of making advanced charging facilities available to the public.
Similarly, we have launched three new chargers, Kiwami Takumi and TAKA, to cater to the niche requirements of the fleet operator, premium properties, and parking lots. This plan is similar to our efforts to offer blanket solutions for fleet owners and logistics companies to promote their shift to mobility.
Besides expanding our operations to multiple regions, we have expanded our presence in new sectors, including the hospitality industry. The hospitality space has been a key growth area for us, where we have collaborated with some of the big names in the business, such as Hyatt and The Leela Palaces. Terra Charge has established park and charge facilities at these premium luxury hotel premises to cater to their visitors’ charging needs. We are working on similar opportunities and exploring partnerships in commercial and residential areas to promote public charging convenience.
Furthermore, our collaboration with the Airports Authority of India has been a first of its kind. I believe it has successfully advanced our vision to make convenient charging accessible to the public. By the end of the year, we aim to add more feats to this list and plan our future moves accordingly.
Sustainability is a key aspect of Terra Charge’s philosophy. How does your company ensure that its operations and products align with this commitment?
Sustainability has always been at the heart of everything we do. Through our efficient charging infrastructure, we aim to accelerate the transition to green energy and mobility, which I believe holds the key to sustainability. In addition, by doubling our R&D efforts, we are trying to make our process more efficient and sustainable. I believe down the road we will gain a breakthrough in making renewable energy charging solutions more feasible. Till then, we will revamp our efforts to make our community greener by supporting public transportation and charging networks.
With the growing push for EV adoption in India, what opportunities do you see for Terra Charge to expand and make a greater impact?
According to my observation, there’s ample room for growth across key sectors, particularly in the integration of EV charging infrastructure within commercial and residential properties.
There is a strong chance that public spaces—such as hospitals, coworking spaces, shopping malls, markets, hotels, and parking lots—will increasingly adopt charging facilities. This growth will be fuelled by the growing demand for convenient charging options and government initiatives to promote EV adoption.
Another promising area is the rise of all-electric ride-hailing services, alongside commercial fleets and delivery services. As major e-commerce and quick commerce companies transition to EVs, the demand for dedicated charging hubs is likely to soar.
Hence, I can say that plenty of growth and expansion opportunities await us. As a market leader and technology expert, my team will be ready to cater to these changing charging needs. For now, we are focusing on brushing our R&D efforts to prepare for future opportunities as and when they arise.
What are Terra Charge India’s plans for the next five years, and how do you envision the future of EV charging in the country?
For the next five years, we want to focus on expanding our charging infrastructure across India. Our core focus will be on making efficient charging solutions and infrastructure accessible to EV owners beyond Tier-I cities.
Additionally, product enhancements and innovations in charging technology will continue to be a key area for us in the next few years. During this phase, our R&D activities will play a key role in shaping our next decade and line of operations, and I look forward to the innovations we can propel.
Currently, my team is working on exploring collaborations with commercial, residential, and public entities to expand the charging network across regions. This is part of our plans to expand our horizons beyond the commercial segment and private set-ups. However, our immediate focus is on closing pipeline activities.