Grab has announced that it has joined forces with GAC to deploy an initial 20,000 “high-performance” EVs across Southeast Asia. The official press release states that this move will not only increase the diversity of EVs in Grab’s fleet but will also “enhance the in-vehicle experience” for the service’s driver-partners.
The partnership will see Grab deploy three of GAC’s flagship models—the Aion Y, Aion ES, and Aion V—across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. The press release noted that the GAC vehicles will have unique features that make them suitable for the ride-hailing service, particularly 90-degree door openings and ample legroom for those sitting in the rear.
Under the partnership, GAC will integrate the Grab driver app into its intelligent cockpit system. This allows drivers to view their GPS and receive information from Grab without needing to jump between multiple devices. Additionally, driver-partners have the option of renting the new EVs from Grab’s fleet or opting for the company’s financing support via its car ownership schemes.
GAC aims to leverage Grab’s expansive reach to expose its brand to millions of users across Southeast Asia. On the other hand, the company doesn’t mind helping EV spread across the region as well as making it more accessible for driver-partners, or so the official statement reads.
As mentioned earlier, the partnership will herald 20,000 EVs across Southeast Asia. However, the press release did not specify how many units the partnership has allocated to Malaysia. Furthermore, neither company disclosed when they will enact the plan or where they will begin.
(Source: Grab)
