Ride-hailing app Uber plans to quadruple its electric vehicles fleet in India by the end of the year, leveraging strategic partnerships across the ecosystem, as per a report in the Economic Times. Uber has more than 350 electric vehicles and plans to expand that to 1,500 by year-end.
The company has already piloted electric autos in Chandigarh with SUN Mobility, where the EV platform offers swappable batteries and interchange stations to select OEMs. Uber has also tied up with e-cycle sharing app Yulu to offer bicycle rentals to customers in Bengaluru. It has also teamed up with the Mahindra Group to launch EVs in Hyderabad.
Uber’s move towards electric mobility is driven by a two-fold agenda – better business economics and increased government push.
Most mobility platforms including Ola’s electric arm, Bounce, Vogo, Yulu, as well as OEMs like Bajaj, Hero, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors are stepping up focus on electric mobility.
India has provided subsidies for such vehicles under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme to give further incentives to these businesses.
Uber facilitated more than 14 million rides a week last year, compared to 11 million in 2018.