At Zoomcar, we have been focusing on coming up with sustainable and shareable EV solutions for the masses, says Greg Moran, Co-founder and CEO, Zoomcar, in an interview with Sreetama Datta of Elets News Network. He also shares how shared mobility solutions are perfect fit for the digitally-enabled smart cities, thus revolutionising the way the masses would commute in the Smart Cities.
What is the vision of Zoomcar?
Sustainability and shared model for sustainable economic development serves as the chief vision for Zoomcar. Back in the day when I was working in the clean technology and infrastructure disciplines for an investment bank, I got a chance to witness first-hand the opportunities that existed in the environmentally sustainable solutions space in India. Further exploration revealed the challenges in urban transportation, namely lack of infrastructure to cushion the hike in personal vehicles. Realising the toll it was taking on India’s environment and a complete lack of self-drive modelled me to spearhead the launch of Zoomcar. The business model of Zoomcar not only revolves around sustainability but also caters to the market need for convenient self-drive mobility solutions.
How are the technology concepts like Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning leveraged in the products and services offered by Zoomcar?
We have an intelligent tool called Cadabra that tracks important data about the car in real-time. Leveraging Internet of Moving Things, Cadabra tracks the distance travelled, fuel used, clutch performance, etc. and helps car owners or drivers keep tabs on important performance metrics like clutch position, harsh braking, inconsistent acceleration, seat belt usage, and engine health, among others. Equipped with Bluetooth and 4G connectivity, Cadabara receives OTA updates and also connects with emergency services in case of on-road accidents.
Will there be a focus on eCabs in the coming year? If yes, please share the focus areas in detail.
The shift towards EVs is a reality that is going to dominate the mobility trends in future. At Zoomcar, we have been focusing on coming up with sustainable and shareable EV solutions for the masses. Out of our fleet of 8,000+ cars, 500 are EVs, which is the largest in India. Since EVs are not only better for environment conservation but also offer low costs of operations and maintenance, we are going to go big in the EV space in times to come.
What are the innovative features you plan to introduce in the products and services?
We have unveiled the subscriptions platform, ZAP Subscribe, which is an innovative offering in the Indian market. For the first time, Indian users have an opportunity to subscribe to a car instead of buying one. The subscription saves them from the entire hassle of making down payments, insurance and maintenance costs and more. Furthermore, the car can be shared with other users on Zoomcar when not in use. We further plan to bring 500,000 Zap cars on the marketplace, in the next few years.
Also Read: E-mobility will transform commuting in the future
How do you plan to contribute to the Smart City mission or tackling the traffic situations through the deployment of technologies?
Zoomcar works on a shared model that also enables sustainable development. The Indian metropolis is crumbling under the pressures of growing number of personal vehicles with limited infrastructure. However, our shared model essentially helps in reducing the total number of cars hitting the road; a car shared takes 20 other cars off the road. Furthermore, our shared mobility solutions will be the perfect fit for the digitally-enabled smart cities, thus revolutionising the way the masses would commute in the Smart Cities.
What is the response you received from India? Share some subscription data.
The youth has taken a liking to our trailblasing concept of subscribing to cars. The offerings are extremely popular with India’s youth who already have developed a preference for subscribing to entertainment and other solutions like furniture. At Zap Subscribe, we sold 3,200 car subscriptions only in the month of March 2019, crossing over 7000 subscriptions in total. With the figures, we have become 2X larger than the largest car dealership in India.
