A fleet of electric taxis has been launched in India as part of efforts to curb the country's CO2 emissions.
Mahindra & Mahindra, the automotive branch of the multinational conglomerate Mahindra Group, has partnered with mobility solutions platform Blu Smart to launch an all-electric taxi service using eVerito sedans in India.
The partnership launched 70 eVerito sedans in conjunction with World Environment Day in New Delhi yesterday (Wednesday). These were the first in a fleet of 500 electric vehicles (EVs) that will be fully operational by April 2020.
The zero-emissions ride-hailing fleet will provide services in several cities, including Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad. Future expansion will also cover Mumbai and Pune. People will be able to book through the Blu Smart Mobility app.
In addition, the partnership will extend the capabilities for EVs by installing 65 charging stations in the capital, strategically located in areas of heavy traffic.
Speaking at the launch in New Delhi, Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric, said: “Today, we are proud to flag off our zero emissions, all-electric Mahindra eVerito sedans and make them available on the Blu Smart app. This marks another big step forward in the electric mobility revolution in India. Our partnerships with fleet operators are aimed at increasing the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles in the country, helping bring a positive change in consumer’s daily commutes.”
This is part of a push for electrification of vehicles across cities in India, and aligns with the government’s pledge under the Paris Agreement to reduce emissions by 33%-35% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
The ride-hailing service is expected to save over 2,000 tonnes of CO2 in the capital. Mahindra’s EVs have travelled a distance of 130m km, enabling over 11,000 tonnes of CO2 savings across the country, said Babu.
Punit K Goyal, co-founder of Blu Smart, said: “Today’s announcement is the first step towards transforming the way Delhi will commute. Blu Smart is bringing together the world's most innovative mobility concepts under a single mobility platform – ride-sharing, car-sharing and shared charging.”
Meanwhile, at a summit by the UN Global Compact Network India last week, worldwide business leaders gathered to discuss corporate solutions to tackle the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) and contribute to economic growth in India.
Rajeev Dubey, executive board member at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, commented: "SDGs present a large business opportunity and if India’s progress is so crucial to achieving the SDGs, it is easy to understand that corporations like Mahindra will play a key role in the way forward."
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