One of the fastest-growing and ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and Bengaluru-based start-up Sun Mobility said on Wednesday they have shaken hands as a partner to offer commuters in India electric auto-rickshaws in the coming months. This happened due to a push by policymakers to encourage the use of cleaner fuels.
Meanwhile, Uber already allows riders in India to book the ubiquitous three-wheeled vehicles dubbed ‘autorickshaws’ or ‘autos’.
Sun Mobility is led by Chetan Maini. Maini is pioneered electric cars in India with the Reva, and Uday Khemka, the vice-chairman of the Sun Group. The company will offer charged swappable batteries as a service to fleet owners and Uber’s driver-partners, under the partnership.
The development comes at a time when India’s government is trying to boost the adoption of electric vehicles to lower oil imports and curb air pollution.
Last month, it was reported by Reuters that India plans to order taxi aggregators like Uber and local rival Ola to convert 40 percent of their fleet of cars to electric by April 2026. Uber did not divulge details on the number of electric rickshaws that would be deployed or the cities it would target.
