Uber has begun offering electric vehicles in selected areas of the Delhi-NCR region and says that it expects to expand in the coming months. The current vehicles are only available for pre-scheduled trips.
The company has not announced how many electric cabs would be available, but it has said that it is working alongside multiple fleet partners and OEMs to build a sustainable EV network in the Dehli-NCR region.
Reuters reported back in 2019 that the Indian government had ordered Uber and Ola to convert 5% of its fleet by 2022 and 40% by April 2026. Delhi has pushed this commitment to help the country’s dependency on oil imports and cut air pollution. Back in 2015, the country made a strong commitment to cutting carbon emissions for the Paris climate change treaty.
Customers will be able to find the EVs on Ubers Reserve feature which will allow them to choose a pick-up time for the ride that is 30 days in advance.
To increase the adoption of EVs, governments in India have begun offering incentives to customers and vendors. It has said that it has installed 1,000 EV charging points across Dehli.
In August 2020, the Dehli EV policy was introduced which gives subsidies for installing EV charging stations. The city aims to get 18,000 EV charging points installed over the next three years.
Uber has already been offering EVs in the U.S and Europe. The company runs a Uber Green program to offer EVs on its fleet and aims to become a zero-emission platform by 2040.
