Mahindra Group’s Mahindra Reva and Carzonrent signed a strategic partnership to promote the use of electric cars as a more common vehicle for public transportation, according to Mahindra on Monday.

Carzonrent, a leading cab rental company based in India, will offer Mahindra’s electric car, the “e2o,” in the cities of New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Each city will begin with cars, with the service to be expanded to all metropolitan cities, Mahindra said.

The move comes against the backdrop of the rising levels of pollution and fuel prices, the company said, adding the initiative would hopefully encourage eco-friendly travel in the big cities.

“Our association with Carzonrent will bring Mahindra e2o and the concept of ‘Mobility as a service’ together, giving customers an opportunity to realize the endless benefits associated with this innovative solution,” said Chetan Maini, chief executive officer of Mahindra Reva, adding that driving the car for a few days would offer new insight to the users.

“As a leading electric vehicle manufacturer in the country, Mahindra Reva is committed to develop not just electric vehicles, but also an entire ecosystem of sustainable mobility service that will benefit society at large,” the CEO said.

Rajiv Kr Vij, managing director and CEO, Carzonrent, said: “With the inclusion of the Mahindra e2o in our self-drive fleet, we are bringing forth an eco-friendly initiative in the Indian travel market.”

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)