Uber eyes a bigger slice of EV space

However, the companies are aiming to accelerate some of their larger plans to take the green route as they expect strong recovery in these segments once the restrictions are lifted.

Uber India plans to have 3,000 electric vehicles (EV) in its fleet by the end of 2021, a top executive at the ride hailing company said, in line with the trend in the mobility sector which is taking rapid strides in green technologies.

Uber plans to continue to partner with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), EV infrastructure firms for charging and battery swapping, and fleets and financiers to make green-powered automobiles both ‘accessible and affordable’.

“As of now, we plan to have approximately 3,000 EVs and e-rickshaws (across two, three and four-wheelers) on our platform by the end of 2021,” Prabhjeet Singh, president, mobility, Uber India and South Asia, said in an interview.

Mobility service providers were among the worst hit as demand has been muted since the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, the companies are aiming to accelerate some of their larger plans to take the green route as they expect strong recovery in these segments once the restrictions are lifted.

“In Mumbai, for example, gross bookings for auto have bounced back to over 150% of pre-covid levels. In Chandigarh, it’s at 100%, in Hyderabad at 85%,” Singh said.

Uber said its plan to reach 200 cities by end of 2020 was affected by the pandemic, but it remains on course to achieving the milestone.