Uber will partner with Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra to pilot electric vehicles on its platform in India, the two companies stated, at a time when the government is pushing to have all new automobiles electrified by 2030.
Uber will release numerous electric vehicles in Delhi and Hyderabad by March next year and will think about expanding the pilot to other cities, Madhu Kannan, the company’s chief business officer for the country and emerging markets informed.
“For how long this pilot will go on is hard to predict … It will need appropriate progress in engagement with our stakeholders before we plan to broaden to other cities,” Kannan stated, adding that Uber up until now has no major roll-out targets for electric vehicles in the country.
Uber joins regional competitor Ola, backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group, which earlier this year introduced a pilot for electric cars in the western city of Nagpur and is preparing a massive roll-out by next year.
India is looking forward to a new policy for electric vehicles however the auto industry is doubtful about its success due to the high expense of batteries and lack of charging facilities which they suggest could make the entire proposal unviable.
Electric vehicle sales in India, among the world’s fastest-growing vehicle markets, are negligible compared with yearly sales of more than 3 million petrol and diesel cars last year, market data revealed.
However the government has figured out and plans to make use of cleaner technology vehicles through public transport.
“Our partnership with Uber is a crucial next step to help accelerate the large scale adoption of electric automobiles on share mobility platforms and meet the nation’s vision for EVs,” Mahindra’s managing director, Pawan Goenka, stated.
As part of the deal, Uber will at first subsidize the cost of electric cars for its motorists and Mahindra will also provide finance, insurance and after-sales service. The two companies will likewise deal with public and private companies to set up charging stations for the automobiles in Hyderabad.
