Uber to roll out electric cab offering in India

Ride-hailing platform Uber has started providing electric vehicles (EV) to customers in some parts of the Delhi-NCR region, with plans to expand the service in the future, media reports say.

Currently, electric cabs are only available for pre-scheduled trips.

According to TechCrunch, Uber did not share how many EV cabs were operational on its platform in India, but insisted that it is working with multiple fleet partners, OEMs and charging infra providers "to gradually build the EV business in a sustainable manner".

"As the leading mobility app in India, we are committed to supporting the Indian government's emission goals. Expect to see more electric vehicles -- be they two, three or four-wheeled -- across Indian cities in the coming months," a company spokesperson was quoted as saying.

As India pushes ride-hailing companies to electrify their fleets over the next few years, Uber's move comes at a timely moment, the report said.

The push came amid the Centre's pledge to reduce oil import dependence and cut air pollution to meet its commitment to the 2015 Paris climate change accord, it added.

Meanwhile, the state government in Delhi, for instance, says it has installed 1,000 EV charging points across the city.