PowerBank, an electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions brand owned by privately-owned unlisted firm Shuchi Anant Virya, has announced the installation of 18 charging stations alongside some of the world’s highest drivable roads in Ladakh.

Ladakh is the largest and the second least populous territory in India. Renowned for its stunning scenery, Buddhist sites, and ecotourism; the region attracts a large number of tourists every year. As the fossil fuel-powered vehicles hurt the region’s environment due to harmful emissions, the local as well as the union authorities are encouraging investment in the field of EV space.

Shuchi Anant Virya’s EV charging solutions provider PowerBank has just announced that it has created a network of EV charging stations along the Manali-Leh route, which boasts to be five of some of the world’s highest drivable roads. It may be noted here that Shuchi Anant Virya is a joint venture (JV) between Bangalore-headquartered Lithium Urban Technologies and Hyderabad-based solar energy firm Fourth Partner Energy.

The newly created EV charging network contains 18 type-1 and type-2 EV chargers. It took the company 10 days to install the charging stations along 1,118 miles (1,800 km) of roads. Fifteen of the 18 newly installed EV charging stations are at an altitude more than 10,000 feet from the sea surface.

Lithium Urban Technologies’ founder Sanjay Krishnan said in a statement that PowerBank aimed to radically decrease carbon emissions in the Ladakh region in the next few years by converting at least half of the vehicular traffic to EVs.

Describing the company’s goals, Krishnan added, “We also seek to bring about a paradigm shift in how people perceive EVs – by addressing apprehensions around the availability of energy for long hauls and overnight road trips.”

Agreeing with Krishnan’s comments, Fourth Partner Energy’s Vivek Subramanian noted that India is switching from conventional internal combustion engines (ICEs) to EVs but the shift needs a robust infrastructure to achieve something meaningful.

The newly installed 18 EV charging stations are already up and running at locations like Urvashi’s retreat, Ride Inn Cafe Resort, and the Ambika HP fuel outlet in Manali; the Unicorn Hotel and the Royal Enfield Showroom in Khangsar; Hotel Ibex & Padma Lodge in Jispa; Hermis Monastery; the Lato Guest house in Lato; the HP fuel outlets of Buddha Filling station and the Abduz Grand Dragon Hotel in Leh; Hotel Kargil in Kargil; Nubra Organic Retreat and Cafe-wala Chai in Nubra.