Two and three wheelers rides in fast lane for Uber
three-wheelers
, marking a shift in consumer mobility preferences at the ride-hailing platform from passenger vehicles.
Uber, which leads India's ride-hailing market, employs about 1.4 million driver partners, up from 1 million in 2024, reflecting steady demand growth.
"In India, more than three out of every five trips are now on
two-wheelers
or three-wheelers," Prabhjeet Singh, president, Uber India and South Asia told ET. He was speaking on the sidelines of the Uber Pragati event in Mumbai.
According to him, a key driver of this transition is growing demand for affordable and flexible transport, especially in congested urban and semi-urban areas. Singh said categories such as intercity, airport travel, and premium offerings are also seeing "massive growth," supported by new product innovations and affordability features.
Even as it expands into multiple use cases, Uber's electrification efforts have remained modest. The company operates 25,000 electric vehicles (EVs) across two-, three-, and four-wheeler categories, comprising less than 2% of its 1.4 million active vehicles in India.
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"EV adoption is growing, but penetration is definitely lower than I would like it to be," Singh said. He pointed to hurdles including high financing costs, unclear residual value of EVs, and inadequate charging infrastructure as key challenges slowing the transition. India's EV ecosystem, according to Singh, is still developing, and the cost burden of vehicle ownership continues to be a barrier. "Someone has to buy the asset and deploy it on the platform. That's harder for EVs," he said.
To navigate these challenges, Uber is partnering with institutional fleet operators who invest in vehicles and charging networks. Its
Uber Green service
, which offers EV rides, is currently operational in three Indian cities.
India is Uber's third-largest market globally by volume. To drive further growth, the company has started new services such as Uber for Seniors and Uber Pet besides affordability features like Wait and Save. While EV adoption remains a long-term goal, Uber is currently focusing on expanding access through lower-cost, high-volume mobility options, said Singh.
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