Uber India is planning to broaden its fleet of 350 electric vehicles (EVs) to 1,500 by this year’s end. The Indian unit of the US-based ride-hailing company is planning to build strategic partnerships with domestic startups and companies.
In an interview, Pradeep Parameswaran, CEO of Uber India and South Asia acknowledged that in the next 24 months EVs will be an important part of Uber’s portfolio, especially in 2 and 3 wheeler space. For the same, Uber India has been partnering with different companies to grow its offerings.
Parameswaran ensured that for the next 10 years the company will identify India as a growth market. Uber continued partnership with startups and the automobile industry to launch new products specifically concerning electric mobility.
Parameswaran said, “We believe that the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) industry in India is very evolved and robust. Our strategy is to actively partner with financiers, OEMs, and technology service providers for charging infrastructure that is building these form factors and bring in our rider base, marketplace technology, and safety”.
Uber India’s significance on EVs which is driven by a 2 fold agenda which includes better business economics and increased government push. Parameswaran highlighted that after China the Indian mobility ecosystem is the most lively ecosystem.
The CEO Added that electric 2 and 3 wheelers are commercially feasible, whereas electric 4 wheelers would need at least 3 or more years to monetize. In terms of fuel and CNG run vehicles (Compressed Natural Gas), Uber India has been aiming for high demand in three and two-wheelers, indicating the customer’s preference for affordable rides.
In Chandigarh Uber has piloted electric autos in partnership with SUN Mobility. For building electric autos SUN Mobility grants its energy infrastructure which includes swappable smart batteries and quick interchange stations to select original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Last year, Uber also partnered with the Bengaluru-based dockless bicycle-sharing platform Yulu to let Uber users access the Yulu app. In 2017, Uber and Mahindra formed a partnership where the automobile giant would utilize 100 of electric hatchback e20Plus and electric sedan eVerito on Uber’s platforms. All these associations will help Uber increase its electric mobility offering in all 3 categories of vehicles.
With the government making it clear that it favors the switch to electric vehicles and is keen to offer incentives and rewards to the manufacturers and customers. Several companies are getting into the act like Bajaj, Hero, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors are OEMs, while Bounce, Vogo, Yulu are startups engaged in renting out electric vehicles of different kinds.
