M&M joins Uber to deploy electric vehicles in Indian cities

Mahindra and Mahindra said it will collaborate with ride-hailing company Uber to deploy electric vehicles (EVs) on Uber's platform in several cities across India.

The companies will deploy hundreds of EVs in New Delhi and Hyderabad to begin with, the automobile major said in a filing to the BSE. According to the company, its EVs on the Uber platform will include the "e2oPlus" hatchback and the "eVerito" sedan.

"As part of this collaboration, both the companies will also explore deployment of Mahindra electric vehicles to other cities," the BSE filing said. It added that over the years, there has been a strong deployment of Mahindra vehicles on Uber's platform and Mahindra is also a key financier for Uber's driver partner through Mahindra Finance.

"Electric vehicles adoption is clearly gaining momentum in India. As the pioneers of EVs in the country we would like to be at the forefront, leading this change towards smart and sustainable mobility," said Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, M&M.

The company said through this collaboration, driver partners on the Uber app can avail of a package which will include Mahindra EVs at competitive prices, attractive financing and insurance premiums as well as comprehensive maintenance packages from Mahindra and its associates.

"We see a key role for high efficiency vehicle technologies, and therefore believe that this collaboration with Mahindra will be truly beneficial not just for Uber but for our driver partners, riders and the cities we operate in," said Madhu Kannan, Chief Business Officer, Uber India and Emerging Markets.