Zoomcar, a self-drive car rental company, in partnership with Mahindra and Mahindra has launched electric vehicles (EVs) in Mysore, Karnataka.
The company rolled out 20 e2oPlus, Mahindra’s all-electric smart car, and two fast-charging units. Eco-friendly vehicles can be hired by residents and visitors in the city, said the company.
“We are happy to be partnering with Zoomcar to promote EV adoption in India. This initiative is aligned with Mysuru vision of being a clean and green city,” said Mahindra Electric chief executive officer Mahesh Babu.
Besides, Mahindra is also offering fast charging services to enhance the EV experience for Zoomcars customers, it said adding currently, charging units have been installed at two locations in the city, which can be used by EV users. It will be replicated in cities like Chandigarh, Delhi and Hyderabad in coming months.
Karnataka is aggressively pursuign the idea of electrification of fossil fuel vehicles. In alignment with the Karnataka government’s EV policy, Mysuru is being developed as a holistic EV ecosystem.
Suzuki Motor also plans to make electric cars at its factory in Gujarat. The company will also set up a lithium-ion battery factory that will charge electric, hybrid and other vehicles from fixed kiosks. Besides companies like Reliance, Adani, the JSW, the Mahindra and the Hero groups of companies are also planning to foray in EV battery pack business.
However, EVs have some challenges and lack a proper ecosystem in India like not enough charging stations. And it requires charging of around 6-10 hours for full charge. At present, M&M has about 80 charging stations across 10 cities.
Currently, around 80 percent of the global auto market is pushing toward phase-out of petroleum cars and adoption of electric vehicles.
As per industry data, electric car sales in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing car markets, are negligible compared with annual sales of over 3 million petrol and diesel cars last fiscal year.
