In order to provide 25,000 XPRES-T electric cars, Tata Motors and cab aggregator Uber have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The two businesses announced in a joint statement on Monday that Uber will integrate these cars into its premium category service.
Starting in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad, Uber will electrify its fleet. Deliveries of the Tata Motors XPRES-T electric car will begin this month, and it will be gradually added to Uber's fleet.
“Offering customers our environmentally friendly electric vehicle (EV) ride experiences via Uber’s Premium Category service will accelerate the adoption of green and clean personal ride-sharing. The XPRES-T EV is a very attractive option both for customers and operators,” according to Shailesh Chandra, MD of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.
In spite of a general market decline, Tata Motors' shares closed higher, up 0.7% to close at 443. The company's stock has increased by 12% so far in 2023. According to Tata Motors, its manufacturing plants have so far produced 50,000 EVs for the personal mobility and fleet segments.
According to Chandra, “This partnership will further cement our market position in the fleet segment,” In 2021, the company introduced the XPRES electric car brand, which was created specifically for fleet operators. The first car under this brand, the XRES-T EV, has two range options: 277 and 315 kilometres. As fleet operators are its target market, it can charge from 0% to 80% in 59 minutes.
“Uber is committed to bringing sustainable, shared mobility to India, and this partnership with Tata Motors is a major milestone on that journey. It represents the largest EV partnership yet between an automaker and a ridesharing platform in India,” According to Prabhjeet Singh, head of Uber India and South Asia.
Uber and its driver partners have flexibility because the XPRES-T can be charged using a standard 15 amp plug point in addition to fast charging. Ola's founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, recently said that the cab aggregator planned to introduce a fleet of 10,000 electric cars.
Another taxi company, BluSmart, operates a fleet of 2,200 entirely electric cars. It runs in parts of Bengaluru, Delhi, and Gurugram.