Ola to launch 10,000 EV cabs

Ride-hailing giant Ola said it is going to launch a fleet of 10,000 electric car taxis in the coming weeks, in a major fillip for the industry in India.

The new "premium" fleet, currently in pilot, will be operated by top-rated drivers, and provide 100% ride assurance post allocation of the cab, zero cancellations, and 100% cashless payments, Ola said in a statement.

"Electrification of the ride-hailing fleet is the next frontier for the industry and a huge step in the direction of the future of mobility," said Bhavish Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Ola.

A proponent of the e-mobility industry in India, Ola's sister concern, Ola Electric, is a major player in the electric two-wheeler for personal mobility space. Ola has also been pushing into the space through its charging network.

BluSmart is currently the biggest EV ride-hailing player in India, with around 3,000 electric cars already on the road. BluSmart leases its EVs from manufacturers, owns them and operates them without the drivers incurring any extra costs such as fuel, EMI, rent or payments as commissions.

Drivers are given a fixed income, which is almost 30% of their total salaries, and a variable income (70%) which depends on how they treat their vehicle and their behaviour with customers.

Ola is likely to procure and lease out its EV fleet as well as compensate its drivers similarly, according to media reports.

Ola's rival Uber has also been piloting a similar service in some parts of Delhi-NCR.

The company said it will first launch 1,000 cars in Bengaluru, and scale from there. The service will be available on the Ola app as a separate category, according to an Economic Times report.

(This story has been republished to remove the word "soon" from the headline.)