I know many of you might be expecting me to announce the launch of a new vehicle platform in this blog post—LOL! Instead, this post is my collective thoughts on what change are required in ride-sharing services in India to make them truly exceptional.
Let’s be frank using any of the existing ride-sharing services like Ola, Uber, rickshaws, taxis, etc…are pathetic. I find most of them old, dirty, and unsafe. Last year, when Uber announced they were launching a fleet of EVs in Bombay called Uber Green, I was excited and used the service extensively for the first 6 months. Then gradually like all other ride-sharing services they turned to shit. I used to think I was the only overly meticulous person, but Twitter/X has proved me wrong:
First Principles Thinking
First principles thinking is a mental model that involves breaking down problems into their basic elements and then reassembling them from the ground up. So let’s do that, I believe there are 4 key areas that new to be addressed:
- Safety
- Reliability
- Cleanliness
- Tech Enabled
In the context of the automotive world, the word platform usually maps to the chassis of the car and that’s exactly what I want to discuss from the ground up.
Safety
If people had to choose between riding in a dirty car or a safe car, I’m not so sure how many would opt for safety…because you don’t see it. I recently was visiting Rishikesh and the vehicle that was sent for the airport pickup had several red flags that my wife didn’t notice nor do I expect her to. The airbag sensor light was on, the seatbelts were not working, and the rear bumper was not the factory one but some makeshift one…which means it was probably in a previous accident and who knows the compromised strength of the chassis.
I’m not advocating that the current ride-sharing fleets are not safe but I would make sure they all have the standard safety features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), airbags, etc… I still think it’s too early to dump a lot of the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features into these cars.
One new feature I would like to see in this new platform are body panels that are safe and dent resistant. Years ago, the Saturn brand used plastic polymer doors that were dent resistant. This will also ensure the vehicles look nice from the outside. The Uber Green fleet already looks like it’s been through 3 wars and a famine. Granted, the Tesla Cybertruck has dent resistant and bullet-proof body panels but I would imagine that would be cost prohibitive for a vehicle fleet of this type.
Reliability
Time is money. When a car is in the workshop, revenue is lost, and costs pile up to fix the issue. For this platform, it would be wise to eliminate features that don’t add real value, such as power windows. When was the last time you got into an Ola cab and thought, ‘Thank goodness I can push a button to roll down the window’? The motor for power windows has a cost and a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), which measures reliability and how often failures are expected. Why not eliminate this potential issue and go back to a simple, reliable old school manual window crank?
There are probably many other features that would be reconsidered when doing a cost-benefit analysis, such as a light in the glovebox—do you really need it?
Cleanliness
Cleanliness is not only a matter of comfort but also a critical component of the overall passenger experience, especially in a ride-sharing context where multiple people use the same vehicle daily. This is where I feel there is a lot of room to improve and really employ the first principles thinking.
The one ride-sharing service that consistently gets a 10 out of 10 is Bangalore based Shoffr started by Vikas Bardia and Kislay Verma.
I know Pulse candy and Polo mints may seem like small details, but that’s exactly what First Principles Thinking is about—breaking things down and focusing on what truly matters. And in all of this, the recurring theme people mention about Shoffr is how clean the vehicles are.”
For the new platform, the first thing to address is the cloth seats. They absorb a shocking amount of dirt and dust, and they likely never get washed. I would design a system where the outer seat covering attaches with Velcro, making it easy to remove and machine-wash. Currently, people use seat covers, but those also collect dirt and are rarely cleaned. Another option could be to make the seats entirely out of resin instead of cloth or vinyl. While it might be less comfortable, it’s something to consider.
The cabin floor should also have a drain plug, allowing the entire cabin to be power-washed. This would require water-resistant electronics or designs that prevent water damage. It would also be beneficial in cases where the vehicle becomes waterlogged, especially since many roads lack proper drainage systems.
Tech Enabled
Cost is a consideration, so I’m not expecting this platform to include all the latest technology. However, some essentials should be included, like dash cams for both the front and the interior. Interior cameras would greatly enhance safety for both the driver and passengers.
Additionally, telemetry data from the vehicle platform should track factors such as location, speed, harsh braking, and sudden acceleration. More importantly the data should be available via APIs using a consent model to share the data. These events can have an economic impact on operating costs for fleet managers. For instance, harsh braking can lead to quicker brake pad wear, while sudden acceleration increases fuel consumption.
Summary
As I mentioned, this is just a starting point for the discussion. I truly hope that some of the new-age OEMs building 2/3/4-wheel vehicles will begin designing fleet vehicles with a First Principles Thinking approach.
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