Ola is to allow London riders to specifically book rides in an electric vehicle through its ride hailing platform. Ola EV has recruited 700 drivers across the capital and expects this number to grow significantly in coming months.

As an incentive to switch to an electric vehicle, the Indian firm will offer drivers a 0% commission rate for the first three months for all electric rides.

The Ola EV category will cost the same as the ‘comfort’ category on the Ola app and will subsequently roll out to other cities around the world.

“Since launching in the UK, Ola has consistently looked to innovate and help solve the toughest mobility challenges,” commented Ola UK managing director, Marc Rozendal. “The launch of Ola EV is another great example, offering riders and drivers the opportunity to play their part in the journey to emission-free rides.

“I am especially proud of the initiatives we are putting in place to help drivers make the switch to fully electric vehicles and that we have been able to do this at no extra cost to riders. I am excited to launch this category as a global first for Ola and while Ola EV will start in London, we can’t wait to begin expanding it across the country and cities around the world.”

Ola also recently announced the launch of the world’s largest two-wheeler factory in Tamil Nadu, India, where it will build its new electric moped. The vast facility will cover 500 acres of land and feature 10 production lines to offer capacity of 10 million units a year.

Ola says it plans to launch the vehicle in the UK and Europe in the near future.

The firm has also announced plans for a new charging network to support its vehicle. Initially launching in India, the plan is for the Ola Hypercharger Network to eventually comprise 100,000 charging points across 400 cities.