Uber decided to deploy electric cars in some parts of New Delhi, India to meet the mobility needs of its customers. The company will expand the number of electric cars and regional access in the coming months.
Customers who want to try Uber electric cars are only available for pre-scheduled trips.
“As India’s leading mobility app, we are committed to supporting the Indian government’s emissions goals. Expect to see more electric vehicles, be it two, three or four wheelers in Indian cities in the coming months,” an Uber spokesperson told Techcrunch.
The electric car is available through the ‘Reserve’ feature in the Uber app and allows customers to choose a pick-up time on their way up to 30 days in advance. Users can cancel their scheduled trips 60 minutes before the trip at no cost, according to the description in the app.
Uber did not elaborate on the number of electric cars operating on its platform in India. However, Uber has been working with a number of fleet partners, OEMs and charging infrastructure providers in an effort to build a sustainable ride-hailing business.
India is also pushing for ride-hailing companies to increase the number of electric vehicle fleets in the next few years. The Indian government in 2019 even ordered Uber and its main competitor, Ola, to convert 5% of its fleet to electric cars by 2022 and as much as 40% by 2026.
The push comes amid New Delhi’s pledge to cut reliance on oil imports and reduce air pollution to meet its commitments to the 2015 Paris climate change agreement.
The federal and state governments of India have started offering incentives to customers and vendors in recent years to increase the adoption of electric vehicle (EV) across cities. In August 2020, the Delhi EV policy was launched by providing subsidies for partners who want to build charging infrastructure.
Through the policy, the city hopes to have 18,000 electric car charging points in the next three years. Ola, Uber’s competitor also has an EV fleet to enter the electric vehicle ecosystem. The company initially introduced EV scooters in the Indian market and plans to expand another EV, namely electric cars by 2024.
Arrival and Uber shows electric vehicles prototype for ride-hailing business
