As per recent reports, Tata Motors, India’s biggest manufacturer of electric passenger vehicles, has penned a new deal with Uber to supply a fleet of 25,000 EVs. The order placed by Uber is supposedly the largest EV order placed in the country’s history. The developments were recently revealed by Tata Motors.
According to the agreement, Uber will roll out Tata Motors’ XPRES-T EVs through associate fleet operators in Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi National Capital Region, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad.
“Uber is committed to bringing sustainable and shared mobility to India. The partnership with Tata Motors is a major milestone in that journey. It represents the largest EV partnership yet between an automaker and a ride-sharing platform in India,” said Prabhjeet Singh, President of Uber India and South Asia.
The deal is a part of Uber’s commitment towards deploying 100 percent zero-emission vehicles on public transit, or with micro-mobility by 2040. This agreement surpasses Tata Motors’ previous contract with BluSmart Mobility, a full-electric cab company from Gurugram, to provide 10,000 XPRES-T EVs last June. Uber’s nemesis Ola is also supposedly planning to employ 1,000 EV cabs in Bengaluru.
The cabs will be acquired in a gradual manner, commencing this month. According to sources from Uber, the company won’t be purchasing the EVs. Instead, the new vehicles will be provided to Uber’s fleet associates.
“Offering customers our environmentally friendly EV ride experiences via Uber’s premium category service will accelerate the adoption of green and clean personal ride-sharing. While enhanced safety, silent, and premium in-cabin experience provides customers with a relaxed ride, the fast-charging solution, driving comfort, and the cost-effectiveness of the EV makes it an attractive business proposition for our fleet partners,” said Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, in a company statement.
“This partnership will further cement our market position in the fleet segment,” he added.