Mahindra & Mahindra said Uber, the taxi company, will deploy ‘hundreds of electric cars’ from the company in Delhi and Hyderabad. The partnership will gradually be expanded to other cities, it said.
Mahindra’s electric vehicles on the Uber platform will include the ezoPlus hatch and the eVerito sedan.
“As part of this collaboration, both the companies will also explore deployment of Mahindra electric vehicles to other cities. The joint deployment of electric vehicles will further reinforce the strong relationship between Mahindra and Uber,” the Indian auto major said.
Drivers on Uber will get a package which will include Mahindra electric vehicles at competitive prices, attractive financing and insurance premiums as well as comprehensive maintenance packages from Mahindra and its associates.
However, the key challenge for EV adoption in India has been charging stations. These will be even more crucial for taxis, which travel hundreds of kms per day, and would need to be recharged at least a couple of times on busy days.
Some players like Tata Power are already engaged in creating charging stations in major cities.
Mahindra said it will work closely with public and private players who are in the process of setting-up a common use charging ecosystem across multiple locations in the cities.
Mahindra will also support with driver education and training related to various aspects of electric vehicles.
“Going forward, electric vehicles will play a major role in reducing urban pollution plaguing several Indian cities and resulting in health hazards. With the increased penetration of EVs and eventual 100% transition, the country and its citizens stand to benefit tremendously,” it said.
With a strong portfolio of value-for-money automobile offerings, Mahindra has had a substantial presence in Uber’s portfolio of cars.
Moreover, the group also has a vehicle financing arm that has been instrumental in helping many drivers sign up on Uber with their own cars.
The move comes in the wake of strong pressure being applied by the government to get vehicle makers to diversify into EVs.
Speaking on the collaboration, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “Electric vehicle adoption is clearly gaining momentum in India. As the pioneers of electric vehicles in the country we would like to be at the forefront, leading this change toward smart and sustainable mobility. Our collaboration with Uber is an important next step to help accelerate the large scale adoption of electric vehicles on shared mobility platforms, and meet the nation’s vision for EVs”.
The Mahindra Group is a USD 1.9 billion federation of Companies.
It has a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company, by volume.
It also enjoys a strong presence in agribusiness, components, commercial vehicles, consulting services, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, steel, aerospace, defence and two wheelers. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 200,000 people across 100 countries.