Mahindra is the oldest and the only player in India that has a couple of electric cars, which can be purchased for a commercial run or for personal use, in its portfolio. To inject the pluses of zero-emission mobility on the commercial side, the automaker has joined forces with companies like Ola, ZoomCar and Uber. While the partnership with the former two has already resulted in the deployment of EVs (electric vehicles) in some cities, the alliance with Uber has now delivered its first such development.

To begin with, the duo will deploy 50 electric vehicles in Hyderabad. Mahindra says that number will increase over a period of time. Both its electric cars – the e2oPlus and the eVerito – will be part of this project. And, to ensure that this development is sustainable over time, the automaker has worked closely with certain public and private players to set up over 30 common charging stations across the capital city of Telangana.

Here’s what Mahesh Babu, who is the CEO at Mahindra Electric, said while flagging off EVs in Hyderabad:

Our collaboration with Uber is aimed at accelerating the large scale adoption of electric vehicles on shared mobility platforms, thereby driving a positive change in daily commute. Today while thanking the Telangana Government for its support, we are excited to embark on this journey to make shared EV commute eco-friendly and transform the way people in Hyderabad commute.

Deepankar Tiwari, head, vehicle solutions, Uber, Asia Pacific, added:

Uber is committed towards adoption of cleaner and environmentally friendly technologies to power urban mobility and our partnership with Mahindra and Mahindra is a step in that direction. We are excited about the tremendous potential of electric vehicles in India and are committed to supporting the government’s vision of building a viable infrastructure to accelerate the speedy induction of even more EV’s.

Mahindra says that the EVs in Hyderabad will be deployed through partners such as A to Z universal solutions (eee-Taxi). Just like it did with Ola and ZoomCar, Mahindra will be deploying EVs on Uber’s platform in other cities across India. To encourage driver-partners for purchasing an EV over a conventionally-powered vehicle, Mahindra will be offering them EVs at “competitive prices” along with “attractive financing and insurance premiums”. Also, on offer will be comprehensive maintenance packages from Mahindra and its partners.