To cut emissions, Uber begins electric cab pilot in Delhi-NCR

Cab aggregator Uber has started running a pilot using electric cabs in select regions of the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) in a bid to cut emissions. The Uber Electric feature is available to riders under the Reserve feature on the mobile application.

"We have begun offering riders the choice of an electric vehicle on pre-scheduled trips under the Reserve feature on the Uber app. Uber Electric remains limited to parts of Delhi-NCR currently," an Uber spokesperson told DH.

As the leading mobility app in India, the company is committed to supporting the Indian government’s emission goals, the spokesperson added.

The move was partly driven by the government's appeal towards companies to cut emissions, said an expert.

"Uber's decision to offer electric cabs in its ride-sharing business in India is in part influenced by the government's push for firms to help support India's pledge to reduce carbon emissions," said Ammar Master, Senior Manager, Asia Pacific Vehicle Forecasts, LMC Automotive, a GlobalData Company.

Alongside four-wheelers, Uber said it might also soon foray into electrifying other forms of mobility including two-wheeler and three-wheelers. "Expect to see more electric vehicles - be they two, three or four-wheeled - across Indian cities in the coming months," the spokesperson said.

This comes at a time when more such fleets are doubling down on their efforts to electrify their fleet. "It is a positive development and could urge more companies to expand their EV fleet," Master said.

Earlier this year in June, BluSmart Electric Mobility - an Ahmedabad-based electric shared mobility platform - had placed an order for 10,000 TATA XPRES-T EV cars with India's largest electric carmaker Tata Motors.

In August this year, Uber's rival Ola also hinted at electrifying its ride-hailing fleet in the coming months. Ola chief executive Bhavis Aggarwal had said it would take steps to bring the business in line with the company’s overall vision of driving a revolution in electric mobility.