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

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.