Ride hailing and sharing app Ola is betting big on the electric vehicle segment. The homegrown company, which launched a pilot for EVs in Nagpur, Maharashtra, plans to place 10,000 e-rickshaws across the country in the next 12 months, making it the largest EV fleet operator in the world, Ola said in a statement.

From cycle rickshaws to ‘shuttles’ and last-mile transport, three-wheelers continue to be a dominant form of daily transit for many people across the nation, the company said, adding that electrification can improve outcomes for drivers, customers, and its business model.

The company plans to have one million EVs across categories on the roads by 2021.

Ola will work with driver-partners, cities, vehicle manufacturers, and battery companies to make sustainable technologies cost-effective and viable in daily mobility.

“Three-wheelers are a vital means of transportation and a source of livelihood for millions of people every day. It also represents an immediate opportunity to improve outcomes for all stakeholders while reducing pollution across towns and cities,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of Ola.

Ola launched its first electric vehicle project in Nagpur last year and the project includes electric cabs, electric auto rickshaws, electric buses, rooftop solar installations, charging stations, and battery swapping experiments.

The EV program in Nagpur has provided Ola with significant insights into effectively managing vehicles, batteries, and operations. The company plans to continue its experimentation with ways to optimise batteries and charging, to develop a strong business model for EV deployment in the country, it added.

Ola is in discussions with several state governments to create an appropriate policy environment to deploy electric three-wheelers. The company is also talking to OEM partners and EV innovators globally to bring vehicles on the road in a planned and phased manner.

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