The country’s only electric car maker – Mahindra Electric, has officially announced a partnership with Uber, the famous ride-hailing service provider. Under this partnership, Mahindra Electric will be providing electric cars that will be operated on the Uber platform in India.
Initially, the project will be run as a pilot in Delhi and Hyderabad. More cities are expected to be added to this list depending on the market response. According to the official statement made, 100s of Mahindra electric cars will be provided to Uber’s driver partners at extremely affordable rates. Additionally, Mahindra will be offering lucrative financing option to the drivers through its Mahindra Finance arm. The conglomerate will also be providing insurance and maintenance packages on every car.
Moreover, Mahindra will provide support to Uber India by conducting driver education and training programs. These programs will majorly be related to electric cars and the dos and don’ts of driving an electric cab.
The biggest hindrance towards the popularity of electric cars in India is the absence of appropriate & adequate charging infrastructure. Hence, Mahindra and Uber will also work in this field. The two companies have showcased their willingness to partner with public and private market players to set up common use charging ecosystem around major cities of the country. However, no official strategic plan for achieving this has been revealed yet.
Mahindra Electric has been at the forefront of the Indian electric car market, ever since its inception. It is currently the only manufacturer in India that offers a range of all-electric cars for the personal as well as commercial use. The company’s line-up currently includes the e2o plus hatchback, e-Verito sedan and e-Supro light commercial vehicle.
With the demand for electric cars set to rise in the future, Mahindra is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it maintains market dominance even after other players enter. However, it’s monopoly is now threatened by Tata Motors, which is coming up with the Tiago electric and Tigor electric, while Maruti Suzuki too is looking forward to developing all-electric cars in partnership with Toyota.
Hence, such partnerships with Uber and Ola will help spread awareness around electric cars in general as well as Mahindra’s contenders in the market. Moreover, it will give a chance to prospective owners to travel in an electric car, which can further motivate them to invest and buy one, knowing the merits and demerits in detail.