Wipro Limited and State Bank of India (SBI) committedcto transition their global fleets to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030, becoming the first major Indian businesses to join The Climate Group’s global EV initiative, EV100, for accelerating the roll-out of EVs worldwide.
The Climate Group reported that Wipro will begin rolling out its plan in the Indian cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune, involving nearly 2000 vehicles, before also addressing international markets. As interim goals, the company expects to scale up the use of EVs to 500 in the next three years and 1,000 by 2023.
SBI is one of India’s largest commercial banks, with a network of more than 22,000 branches across India and 191 overseas offices spread over 36 countries. SBI will transition its vehicle fleet to EVs in major cities by 2030. As part of this commitment, the bank will also set up charging stations in major residential spaces to support the uptake of EVs by staff.
Jarnail Singh, India Director, The Climate Group said that they are thrilled to welcome Wipro and SBI to EV100. He believes that their leadership on electric vehicles will send a strong demand signal to the market in India and beyond.
Wipro has already leased around 50 EVs in Hyderabad and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. To encourage employees to use EVs, the company has also launched corporate vehicle ownership and lease programs and installed charging points at all its major facilities in India.
Hari Hegde, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Operations, Wipro Limited said that integrating electric vehicles into their fleet and supporting its adoption by Wipro employees is one of their key initiatives. We was hopeful that their commitment to enhance and promote the use of electric vehicles, which offer a cleaner alternative to the use of fossil fuels, will contribute to increased adoption of these vehicles and help improve the quality of the air we breathe in our cities.
