Rapido, the top bike, auto, and taxi aggregator platform in India, has teamed up with IndoFast Energy, a 50/50 joint venture between IOCL and SUN transportation, to introduce 10,000 of Piaggio’s interchangeable e-autos, known as E-city Max, throughout India over the course of the next 24 months in an effort to promote sustainable transportation. Through the cooperation, more than 1000 EVs will be added to the nation’s public transportation system by December 2024, beginning with Hyderabad, Bangalore, and other significant southern Indian cities.
With the goal of incorporating IndoFast Energy’s cutting-edge swappable battery technology into Rapido’s platform and improving the accessibility, effectiveness, and convenience of electric vehicles, the relationship between Rapido and IndoFast Energy started with a trial in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi in 2023.
Building on the success of the two firms’ pilot program, the partnership has made it possible for more than 100 swap stations to be established in Hyderabad and Bangalore, enabling auto captains to swap batteries and save downtime. Rapido wants to use swappable electric vehicles for about 20% of its daily trips.
“Our goal at Rapido is to offer mobility solutions that are economical, practical, and environmentally responsible. We can greatly expand our EV offers on the platform thanks to this collaboration with IndoFast Energy, which is consistent with our dedication to sustainability,” stated Mr. Pavan Guntupalli, Rapido co-founder.
“Our partnership with Rapido marks a key milestone in our effort to make commuting more accessible and sustainable,” stated Anant Badjatya, CEO of Indofast Energy. The success of the prototype we launched with Rapido about a year ago is what led directly to this collaborative effort. To ensure the success of this endeavor, we will now accelerate our deployment throughout India, particularly in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Chennai.
“We are proud of the performance, robustness, durability, and ease of usage that Ape Electrik provides customers with,” stated Mr. Diego Graffi, Chairman and MD of Piaggio Vehicles Pvt ltd. Our goal is to deploy more than 10,000 3W EV swappable battery vehicles throughout India in 24 months by collaborating with Rapido and IndoFast Energy. Since EVs have very little downtime, swappable battery solutions are affordable and have a bright future. Both India’s EV mission and the promotion of the advantages of a swappable battery solution would greatly benefit from this collaboration.
To further expand its environmentally friendly ride-hailing services, Rapido and Indofast Energy are also looking at adding high-speed premium two-wheelers and modified three-wheelers to its platform.
