Chennai to see the rise of e-rickshaws

MAuto, a private autorickshaw service provider, has introduced about 100 e-rickshaws on Chennai roads for commuter services.

The company will retrofit conventional petrol autorickshaws with electric motors to run on batteries.

The converted e-rickshaws for public commuting were flagged off by the Tamil Nadue Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami here on Friday.

The development follows an agreement signed by the State government with the Dubai-based KMC Group and M Auto Electric Mobility at a Business Leaders Forum meet in Dubai during the recent visit of a delegation led by the Chief Minister.

Under the agreement, the companies have planned to invest about ₹100 crore in a unit for converting petrol-powered autorickshaws into e-rickshaws.

These e-rickshaws offer a range of up to 100 km per full charge. This vehicle has a camera, GPS system and panic button for safety purposes. These e-rickshaws can be booked through mobile app – Mauto Pride.

The State government recently launched an EV policy with sops to promote them.

Also, several companies are in talks to offer last mile connectivity from metro stations in the city. Here e-rickshaws are seen as a cost-effective option.