Kochi: Yulu, India’s largest shared electric two-wheeler mobility player, today announced the launch of its services in Kochi in partnership with a city-based firm, Zeco Mobility. The much-anticipated rollout in Kerala’s commercial capital took place on the auspicious occasion of Vishu. Following the launch, Zeco Mobility, which is led by city-based clean energy and mobility entrepreneur R Shyam Shankar, will independently operate Yulu’s popular electric vehicle (EV) service across Kochi, with infrastructural and technological support from Yulu.
The launch of Yulu’s and Zeco’s service in Kochi represents the second consecutive success story for the Yulu Business Partner (YBP) initiative, a unique industry-first franchise partner-led model for democratising shared mobility outside India’s metros. Kochi is the second partner-led rollout for Yulu after the company launched its service in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, earlier this month.
Kochi is renowned for its eco-friendly tourism infrastructure like the Cochin International Airport — the world’s first airport to operate completely on solar power — and India’s first Water Metro, which allows people to navigate the city’s waterways on energy-efficient electric boats. Now, Yulu’s and Zeco’s smart and shared EVs will add another dimension to sustainable tourism and commutes in Kochi with their features like zero tailpipe emissions and high accessibility and affordability.
Zeco Mobility has placed Yulu’s EVs at four zones, viz. Saradhy Sports Centre and JLN Stadium Zone (at Kaloor) and Menaka Zone and Broadway Zone (at Marine Drive). Between them, these zones cover Marine Drive, Broadway, Shanmugham Road, MG Road, Kaloor Stadium, Edapally, Panampally Nagar, Fort Kochi, Vypin Island and Bolgatty Island. The services will be available from 7:00 AM to 12:00 midnight, and users can rent the EVs on a per-hour or per-day basis, as per their requirements.
Amit Gupta, Co-founder & CEO, Yulu says that Kochi’s status as a historical melting pot for many global cultures, and its progressive and environmentally conscious citizenry, make it a natural fit for Yulu’s eco-friendly shared EV platform. He adds, “Following our successful launch in Indore, Yulu is excited to expand our YBP initiative to Kochi, the cultural and commercial capital of Kerala. The vision of YBP is to fast-track EV adoption by partnering entrepreneurs who want to pioneer mobility initiatives in their cities. We are delighted to join hands with Zeco Mobility’s founder R Shyam Shankar, who is a committed and thoughtful entrepreneur with the ambition and vision to commence a green mobility revolution in the city.”
Commenting on the partnership, R Shyam Shankar, Founder, Zeco Mobility says that venturing into sustainable mobility was a judicious expansion move for Zeco, which integrates solar power generation and electric charging infrastructure. He adds, “Zeco Mobility is delighted to start a world-class shared EV mobility service for the people of Kochi in partnership with Yulu. The sustainable and technology-first aspects of this service are in perfect sync with Kochiites’ pride in the city and their willingness to accept technology-based solutions in every aspect of life. The compactness and inclusivity of these EVs makes them ideal for tourists and locals who want to explore Kochi’s beautiful coastline, monuments, markets, and food hotspots. We are confident that the city will embrace Yulu with open arms.”
He adds, “Our vision is that in 5 years, any visitor from around the world should be able to come and experience Kochi with zero carbon footprint.”
Under the partnership, Yulu has supplied Zeco Mobility with its ‘Miracle’ EVs as well as its AI and IoT-enabled mobility-tech platform. Purpose-built for commutes and leisure rides, the Miracle is a smart, lightweight EV that can be operated with Yulu’s smartphone app. It has a maximum speed of 25 kmph and does not require a driver’s licence to be operated. In addition to the vehicles, Zeco Mobility has also received swappable EV batteries and chargers through Yuma, an associate of Yulu that provides Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS). Yulu has also provided Zeco Mobility with the manpower training and onboarding support the latter needs to independently manage its day-to-day operations.
Besides Kochi and Indore, Yulu is present in several major metros. It operates 30,000 shared EVs across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram and Indore. Across these markets, it has served 4+ million users and prevented 20+ million kilogrammes of CO2 emissions to date. Yulu has also tied up with leading delivery and e-commerce companies to unlock sustainable mobility solutions for their delivery partners, while simultaneously enhancing the latter’s earnings through affordable pricing plans and a cutting-edge technology platform. Yulu’s EVs have enabled over 475 million kilometres of green rides and 80+ million green deliveries.
