INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
new rules for clean mobility.Uber and Ola, both backed by Softbank Group, would need to start converting their fleet as early as next year
person and the records that have been reviewed by Reuters.Some taxi players, like Ola, have previously tried to operate electric cars in the
country, but with little success given inadequate infrastructure and high costs.Delhi, however, is looking to push the new policy to boost
the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) as it tries to bring down its oil imports and curb pollution so it can meet its commitment as part
of the 2015 Paris climate change treaty.Think-tank Niti Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and which plays a crucial role in
policymaking, is working with several ministries on the new policy.Neighbouring China, home to the world's top auto market, is already
leading the world in electrification by setting tough EV sales targets for car makers and offering incentives to taxi operators to increase
their fleet of clean-fuel cars.EV sales in India grew three-fold to 3,600 in the year ended March but still account for about 0.1 per
and the ministries of road transport, power, renewable energy and steel, as well as the departments of heavy industries and trade, were
among those recommending taxi operators in India gradually convert to electric.They also recommended that all new cars sold for commercial
use should only be electric from April 2026, a change that would also apply to Uber and Ola, said the person who has direct knowledge of the
e-commerce companies, will also need to be electric from April 2023, the person added.India has seen a boom in food delivery apps like
Zomato and Swiggy, which counts Naspers and Tencent as investors
Sales by e-commerce firms like Amazon.com and Walmart-owned Flipkart are also rising.MOTORBIKES TOOThe EV proposal comes weeks after the
inter-ministerial committee recommended electrifying most motorbikes and scooters for private use and all three-wheeled autorickshaws within
the next six to eight years.While there are several electric scooter manufacturers in the country including Ather Energy, Hero Electric and
Okinawa, there are only two car makers that build and sell electric cars - Mahindra Mahindra and Tata Motors.Some taxi operators have so
far had little success operating electric cars in India
Ola launched a pilot project in the central Indian city of Nagpur in 2017 but a year later drivers, unhappy with long wait times at charging
stations and high operating expenses, wanted to return to gasoline cars.Ola, however, is not giving up yet.Its Ola Electric Mobility unit in
million from Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors and formed a strategic partnership with the South Korean duo to help build India-specific EVs.PM
Modi's government in 2017 had set an ambitious target to electrify new cars and utility vehicles by 2030 but resistance from the industry
forced it to scale back the plan.
