Ola plans to add 10,000 electric vehicles, mostly e-rickshaws in 12 months

SoftBank-backed cab aggregator Ola today said it plans to add 10,000 electric vehicles, a majority being e-rickshaws, to its platform over the next 12 months as part of its 'Mission Electric' programme.

The Bengaluru-based company is aiming to get one million electric vehicles on its platform by 2021 to boost the electric vehicle ecosystem in the country.

"Three-wheelers are a vital means of transportation and a source of livelihood for millions of people every day. It also represents an immediate opportunity to improve outcomes for all stakeholders while reducing pollution across towns and cities," Ola co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said.

In May last year, Ola had launched its first electric vehicle project in Nagpur. The project includes electric cabs, electric auto rickshaws, electric buses, rooftop solar installations, charging stations, and battery swapping experiments.

"After more than 4 million 'electric' kilometers travelled and many lessons learned, we are significantly expanding our commitment to electrify mobility in India," Aggarwal said.

He added that the company is looking at working with state governments and other partners to introduce accessible, affordable, and sustainable mobility solutions at scale.

New Amaze launch in May, bookings open at all authorised Honda dealerships

Honda Cars India on Friday said it has commenced pre-launch booking for all new Amaze which it plans to launch in the country next month.

The booking for the second generation Amaze can be made at all authorised dealerships of the company with a booking amount of Rs 21,000, Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) said in a statement.

The new Amaze is built on an all-new platform and would be available with both petrol and diesel powertrains. It will also feature a diesel variant with CVT (fully automatic) transmission.

It would be Honda's first diesel engine combined with CVT (continuously variable transmission), and India will be the first market to launch this technology, the company said.

"The Honda Amaze has been one of our very successful models in India, with over 2.57 lakh satisfied customers. With the 2nd generation Amaze, we are extremely excited to add another chapter to the success story of the model," HCIL Senior Vice President and Director Marketing and Sales Rajesh Goel said.

'Flying taxis' by 2020? Uber strikes deal with Nasa to make it a reality

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Uber is a step closer in making its flying taxi plans a reality as it has signed a deal with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop an air traffic management system.

Uber said at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon that it signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA for the development of "unmanned traffic management."

Uber had previously unveiled its plans to introduce flying taxi fleets, known as uberAIR, reported CNN.

Uber is already testing another emerging technology, self-driving cars, in various cities around the country, according to the reports.

This is the start-up's first partnership with a U.S. federal government agency.

Uber's partnership is part of NASA's Space Act Agreement, a consortium of industry players working to ensure "safe and efficient operations" of its taxis and other small unmanned aerial systems flying at low altitudes.

Uber plans to trial the project in Los Angeles in 2020 along with the already announced cities Dallas and Dubai, the company said.

It is also hopeful of having commercial operations ready in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the report added.