Grab to launch carbon offset feature in July, expands Hyundai EV partnership

Southeast Asian super app Grab today announced it will be launching a carbon offset feature, which can help its users reduce their carbon footprint when traveling with the company, in July. The feature will be integrated within the app.

Customers will be able to purchase carbon offsets at less than US$0.10 per ride. This amount will go toward reforestation and conservation projects managed by local non-governmental organizations.

Trees will be planted in the firm’s GrabForGood Forests in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam through partner organizations. The GrabForGood Forests are dedicated spaces for Grab’s tree-planting initiatives under the carbon offset program.

The feature will be launched first in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand in July, followed by a rollout to the rest of the Southeast Asia region.

A Grab-branded electric Hyundai Ioniq car / Photo credit: Grab

Grab made this announcement during the release of its first environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) report.

In addition, it also said that it would be expanding its strategic partnership with Hyundai Motor Group in mobility services to now focus on electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Southeast Asia.

Through this enhanced partnership, both companies will develop a joint EV roadmap to help address the adoption pain points that drivers have raised, such as cost, a lack of charging stations, and long waiting times.

The two firms will launch pilot programs this year, beginning in Singapore and then in Indonesia and Vietnam.

Previously, Grab and Hyundai had already launched EV pilots in Singapore in 2019 and in Indonesia in 2020. The pilot in Singapore saw the deployment of 200 Hyundai Kona EVs in Grab’s Rentals fleet. In Indonesia, Grab launched its GrabCar Elektrik fleet of Hyundai Ioniq vehicles at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport.

“While EVs are relatively nascent in Southeast Asia, Grab plans to play a vital role in working with partners and governments to accelerate EV adoption,” said Grab group managing director of operations Russel Cohen in a statement. “As government EV policies and incentives are  implemented and essential infrastructure like charging stations continue to be built, this partnership will provide insights and best practices on the usage of EVs as part of the day-to-day operations of driver and delivery partners.”