Uber India To Deploy 1,000 EVs By 2026

Ride hailing giant Uber has reportedly partnered with Chennai-based Refex Green Mobility to deploy 1,000 electric four wheelers across key Indian cities by 2026.

As per news agency PTI, Uber said that the electric vehicles (EVs) will be deployed in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. 

“Uber is committed to accelerating the shift to zero-emission mobility in India, and this partnership with Refex eVeelz is a significant step in that direction,” Uber India and South Asia’s head of supply and electrification Aditya Kapoor was quoted as saying in the report. 

The move is part of the ride-hailing major’s larger global objective of offering “100% emission-free rides” by 2040. Kapoor also reportedly claimed that the partnership will remove barriers to EV adoption and drive the company’s switch to green vehicles. 

Meanwhile, Refex Group’s chief of staff Sachin Navtosh Jha added, “This collaboration, in addition to our currently existing B2B as well as B2C operations with nearly 1,300 company-owned four-wheeler EVs will help us contribute to reducing urban carbon emissions and will also play a key role in achieving India’s broader sustainability goals”.

This came on the same day as Swiggy announced plans to transition to an-electric delivery fleet by 2030. 

The development comes at a time when Uber has pushed the pedal on electrifying its fleet. In 2023, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to onboard 25,000 EVs on its platform in the premium service category. 

Subsequently last year, reports also surfaced that the Adani Group was mulling a strategic partnership with ride-hailing major to roll out its electric passenger cars. 

It is pertinent to note that Uber initially launched its electric vehicle service in Bengaluru in November 2023. Earlier last year, the company expanded the offering to Kolkata as well amid growing competition from EV-centric ride hailing rivals like BluSmart and Ola Consumer also introducing EVs to its fleet. 

The switch to EVs also comes at a time when Uber India has been witnessing a slew of new developments. Last month, Inc42 exclusively reported that the ride hailing major rolled out a SaaS-based zero commission model for auto drivers across India.

Earlier this year, Uber, along with Ola, also received a notice from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) over differential pricing for Android and Apple devices.