On April 16th, Beijing time, India’s largest car company had an ambitious plan to put 1 million electric cars on polluted streets in the country.
Uber’s major competitor in India, Ola, said on Monday that as a first step, its goal is to launch 10,000 electric rickshaws in several cities in the next 12 months. Tricycles that extend in all directions in India are usually fueled by gasoline. Ola wants its driver to use a battery-powered version.
The company said it plans to reach the goal of 1 million cars by the end of 2021.
The Bangalore-based start-up company has received support from major investors such as Japan's Softbank, but did not elaborate on how it plans to develop its electric fleet so quickly. The company said that it plans to work with automakers, city and state governments, and batteries. Manufacturers cooperate.
Ola currently has more than 1 million drivers in 110 cities in India, so its plan means to provide electrified services for the vast majority of available vehicles through its applications.
The Indian government has its own electrical ambitions. Its stated goal is to get most, if not all, of the vehicles on the road to electric before 2030. But in meeting this goal, the country faces several challenges, including a lack of Infrastructure and car manufacturers expensive technology.
Ola has operated more than 200 electric vehicles in the western Indian city of Nagul. The project was started almost a year ago. The project involves electric cars, rickshaws and buses.
The company also installed rooftop solar panels, charging stations and battery exchange terminals in the city. Ola said Monday that their electric vehicles in Nagpur have operated more than 4 million kilometers (2.5 million miles) so far.
Other large car companies are also increasing their electric car fleet.
The Didi Group, which dominates China, will work with 12 companies including Renault, Nissan and Kia to provide electric car sharing services.
Didi hopes to have 1 million electric vehicles on its platform before the end of 2020, which is the year before Aura. According to Didi, in November last year, some or all of Didi's electric vehicles had exceeded 260,000 units. .
Last year, Uber also purchased hundreds of electric vehicles from Mahindra, the only company in India that sells electric cars directly to consumers. Ola currently has the upper hand in the fierce competition with Uber for control of the vast Indian market.
