Amazon, partners to test electric trucks on a freight corridor in India

The initiative marks the first phase of testing electric vehicle (EV) trucks along the 350-kilometre Bengaluru-Chennai highway corridor.

In a significant move towards sustainable transportation, The Climate Pledge and C40 Cities have announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind demonstration project in India. The initiative marks the first phase of testing electric vehicle (EV) trucks along the 350-kilometre Bengaluru-Chennai highway corridor. The project brings together industry leaders including Amazon, Ashok Leyland, Billion-E, and ChargeZone to explore the potential of long-range electric freight transportation. By analysing the operational feasibility and cost-effectiveness of EV trucks in long-haul scenarios, this collaboration aims to set a new standard for eco-friendly logistics in India and beyond.

Billion-E, an e-mobility-as-a-service company, will run 20 heavy-duty Ashok Leyland EV trucks of varying payloads (up to 55 tonnes) for six months, starting along NH48, which connects Bengaluru and Chennai, collecting real-time fleet data and demonstrating the technical, financial, environmental, and social viability of switching to electric freight. Amazon, a signatory, will also use the corridor using ChargeZone’s charging infrastructure solutions.

The project is part of Laneshift, a zero-emission international freight initiative launched by the Pledge and C40 Cities in 2023.

The tie up aims to boost the development and adoption of low-carbon fuels from agricultural and industrial waste, starting with the cities of Visakhapatnam and Bahadurgarh. Eventually, fuelling hubs and mobile refuelling stations will be developed across India.

The Laneshift-India EV freight corridor project is the first step in the development of a network of connected EV freight highways in India, bringing together businesses, logistics service providers, original equipment manufacturers, charging point operators, and financiers to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks across India’s highways.

A spokesperson from Ashok Leyland says, “Our participation in this landmark EV Highway Demonstration is a testament to Ashok Leyland’s commitment to pioneering cleaner, more efficient transport solutions. We believe this project will highlight the operational and environmental benefits of electric trucks, paving the way for large-scale adoption across India’s highways. We are excited to be at the forefront of this transformation, playing a key role in building a more sustainable logistics ecosystem.”

Electrifying the trucking sector is essential to reducing emissions and keeping India on track to achieve its 2070 net-zero goals. Trucks represent just 3% of vehicles on India’s roads but are responsible for over 34% of carbon dioxide and 53% of particulate matter emissions in the transport sector.

Supported through Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund, the initiative will create biodiversity havens that also provide nutrition for children in municipal schools

As India’s road freight transport continues to grow, the number of medium- and heavy-duty trucks is expected to more than quadruple, from four million in 2022 to roughly 17 million trucks by 2050. As a major source of air pollution, removing tailpipe emissions and electrifying this sector will result in wider health benefits to people living near freight routes.

This demonstration project is the culmination of a year-long collaboration, drawing insights from both public and private stakeholders, and freight decarbonisation initiatives. The team consulted with over 50 businesses, financial institutions and government representatives, and analysed 8 highway corridors, before selecting the Bengaluru-Chennai corridor as the first for the demonstration project.

The project demonstration will pave the way for many more businesses to transition to e-trucks—adopting innovative business and financial models, and will also help further action for a just and inclusive transition in the road freight sector.

Indian exporters have launched over 50,000 new products on Amazon’s global marketplaces for the holiday season that starts with the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale event from November 21 to December 2.

The project’s results will be used to develop a national EV Highway Roadmap for India and provide critical information that will help send demand signals to stakeholders – moving the project from demonstration to implementation with bankable, scalable solutions that will sustain the growth of EV freight throughout India.