Ola’s sputtering India electric vehicle trial a red flag for Modi plan


  • TECH
  • Friday, 09 Mar 2018

Mahindra's, e2oPlus, operated by Indian ride-hailing company Ola, is seen at an electric vehicle charging station in Nagpur, India January 24, 2018. REUTERS/Aditi Shah/Files

NAGPUR, India: Indian ride-hailing firm Ola's pilot project to test a fleet of electric vehicles in Nagpur was expected to herald a coming revolution in the Indian autos industry. So far, though, it has only exposed fractures in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitions to make all new vehicles electric by 2030.

With an initial investment of about US$8mil (RM31.31mil), Softbank-backed Ola launched the project last year at an event that had all the trappings of a state function, including a big gathering and flagging off by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The Star Festive Promo: Get 35% OFF Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

Anthropic mocks ChatGPT ads in Super Bowl spot, vows Claude will stay ad-free
Tesla 2.0: What customers think of Model S demise, Optimus robot rise
Vista Equity Partners and Intel to lead investment in AI chip startup SambaNova, sources say
Apple plans to allow external voice-controlled AI chatbots in CarPlay, Bloomberg News reports
Goldman Sachs teams up with Anthropic to automate banking tasks with AI agents, CNBC reports
US Justice Department casts wide net on Netflix's business practices in merger probe, WSJ reports
Big Tech's quarter in four charts: AI splurge and cloud growth
Nacsa investigating alleged cyber-espionage targeting multiple government bodies
AI trade splinters as investors get more selective
Global chip sales expected to hit $1 trillion this year, industry group says

Others Also Read