Uber, Sun Mobility tie up to offer electric auto-rickshaws in India soon

Ride hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and Bengaluru-based start-up Sun Mobility said on Wednesday they will partner to offer commuters in India electric auto-rickshaws in the coming months, amid a push by policymakers to encourage the use of cleaner fuels.

Uber already allows riders in India to book the ubiquitous three-wheeled vehicles dubbed "auto-rickshaws" or "autos".

Sun Mobility, led by Chetan Maini, who pioneered electric cars in India with the Reva, and Uday Khemka, vice-chairman of the Sun Group, will offer charged swappable batteries as a service to fleet owners and Uber's driver partners, under the partnership.

The development comes at a time when India's government is trying to boost the adoption of electric vehicles to lower oil imports and curb air pollution.

Reuters had reported last month that India plans to order taxi aggregators like Uber and local rival Ola to convert 40% of their fleet of cars to electric by April 2026.

Uber did not divulge details on the number of electric rickshaws that would be deployed or the cities it would target.

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