Get set for an electric ride on Ola; here is when

Taking the government's electricity-based vision ahead in actuating a shift from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles, the ride-hailing company Ola has announced a “Mission: Electric” under which the company plans to bring one million Electric Vehicles on the road by 2021. Ola has already highlighted the project, and for starters, it will  place 10,000 E-rickshaws and Electric auto-rickshaws in its service in the next 12 months.  Notably, from cycle rickshaws to ‘shuttles’ and last-mile transport, three-wheelers continue to be a dominant form of daily transit for many people across the nation.  

 

Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of Ola said, “Three wheelers are a vital means of transportation and a source of livelihood for millions of people every day. It also represents an immediate opportunity to improve outcomes for all stakeholders while reducing pollution across towns and cities."

 

Ola launched its first electric vehicle project in Nagpur on 26th May, 2017. The project included electric cabs, electric auto rickshaws, electric buses, rooftop solar installations, charging stations, and battery swapping experiments.

 

Building on the pioneering EV pilot by the company in Nagpur, Ola believes electrification can improve outcomes for drivers, customers, and its business model. 

 

Aggarwal added, "Less than a year ago, we launched India’s first multi-modal electric pilot in Nagpur.  After more than 4 million electric kilometers traveled and many lessons learned, we are significantly expanding our commitment to electrify mobility in India.  Ola leads by example, and we look forward to working with state governments and other partners to introduce accessible, affordable, and sustainable mobility solutions at scale.”

 

Ola is in discussion with several state governments to create an appropriate policy environment to deploy electric three wheelers.  The company is also talking to OEM partners and EV innovators globally to bring vehicles on the road in a planned and phased manner.

 

 Ola will work with driver-partners, cities, vehicle manufacturers, and battery companies to make sustainable technologies cost-effective and viable in daily mobility. 

 

With the addition of 10,000 vehicles across three cities this year, Ola is quickly set to become one of the largest EV fleet operators in the world.