How India can electrify trucks to meet climate & clean air goals
ET CONTRIBUTORS August 16, 2025 06:00 AM
Synopsis

India's e-truck scheme marks a crucial step towards decarbonizing freight, addressing fuel consumption and emissions. A long-term roadmap with electrification milestones, charging infrastructure tailored to freight, and supply-side regulations like fuel efficiency norms and ZEV mandates are vital. These measures will accelerate e-truck adoption, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen energy security.

Amitabh Kant

Amitabh Kant

The writer is former CEO, NITI Aayog & G20 sherpa, GoI

Launch of the electric truck (e-truck) scheme last month is a much-needed step forward. For far too long, India's conversation around vehicle electrification has focused on passenger cars. Trucks, especially medium- and heavy-duty trucks (MHDTs), have remained on policy sidelines, despite being disproportionately responsible for fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

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Trucks make up less than 5% of India's total vehicle fleet. Yet, they account for nearly 40% of on-road fuel consumption, 44% of transport's GHG emission, and about 50% of particulate and NOx emissions. In cities, this translates into significant air quality challenges and public health risks, particularly for communities living near freight corridors. Electrification of the trucking sector is central to both India's climate commitments and its urban health priorities.

India's logistics costs are around 13% of GDP, significantly higher than the global average. With nearly 70% of freight moved by road and fuel being a major cost driver, e-trucks offer a pathway to reduce operating costs, enhance efficiency and strengthen energy security.

A recent International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) study shows that e-trucks emit 17-37% less GHG than their diesel counterparts, even with today's grid mix. When powered by RE, these emissions can drop by 85-88%. To align with global climate goals - limiting warming to well below 2° C by 2050 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2070 - India must achieve 100% zero-emission truck (ZET) sales by mid-century.

GoI's ₹500 cr incentive for e-trucks is a strong signal of intent that recognises the strategic importance of decarbonising freight. But to yield long-term benefits, it must be embedded within a broader policy framework. Three areas require urgent focus:

Long-term electrification roadmap While the e-truck scheme provides a foundation, the sector needs a long-term roadmap that sets clear timelines for phasing out ICE trucks, establish electrification milestones by vehicle segment (light-duty vs heavy-duty, urban vs long-haul), and integrate complementary strategies like green hydrogen and battery-swapping.

It should also align with key national initiatives like National Electric Mobility Mission Plan, Automotive Mission Plan, and National Logistics Policy, ensuring coherence across ministries and stakeholders. Such a roadmap can provide confidence to manufacturers, fleet operators, logistics providers and financiers.

Charging infra A primary barrier to e-truck adoption is inadequate charging infrastructure. Unlike passenger EVs, trucks require high-capacity, commercial-grade chargers, strategically located along freight corridors, logistics parks and depots.

Freight vehicles often follow different routes than passenger vehicles, even between the same origin and destination. As a result, using existing EV charging plans designed for cars to support e-trucks won't work. Infra planning must be based on freight movement data, not merely on land availability.

A charging blueprint tailored to the needs of freight is needed. This involves identifying high-volume truck routes and last-mile delivery hubs, analysing telematics data, and prioritising locations where chargers will be most used. Policies must also differentiate between needs of light-duty e-trucks used in urban areas and long-haul heavy-duty trucks that require MW-scale charging.

GoI must ensure reliable power supply, grid integration and commercial viability. State governments, urban local bodies and private logistics players will also have a critical role in deploying charging infrastructure at scale.

Supply-side regulations India must move toward regulatory mechanisms that institutionalise the transition to ZETs. One such mechanism is the introduction of fuel efficiency (FE) norms for MHDTs. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) should prioritise developing these norms and design them with a corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE)-like structure. This would allow manufacturers of e-trucks to benefit from averaging, thereby encouraging innovation and investment in cleaner techs.

Another critical step is introduction of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales mandate for trucks, starting with cities in Delhi-NCR. A ZEV mandate would require truck manufacturers to sell a fixed - and increasing - percentage of ZETs annually. This model, adopted in California and other jurisdictions, ensures long-term market certainty, levels the playing field and reduces reliance on subsidies.

Together, these supply-side measures can accelerate the availability and affordability of e-trucks, while promoting healthy competition and local manufacturing.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)
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