The Climate Pledge and C40 Cities launch testing of long-range electric freight trucks along the Bengaluru-Chennai highway

The Climate Pledge and C40 Cities today announce a first-of-its-kind collaborative demonstration project in India – the initial phase of testing electric vehicle (EV) trucks along the 350-kilometre Bengaluru-Chennai highway corridor.  The trucks will transport commercial loads along the corridor, analysing the operational feasibility and cost-effectiveness of EV trucks in long-haul transportation. Key stakeholders in this collaboration include Amazon, Ashok Leyland, BillionE and ChargeZone.

Sally Fouts, Global Leader of The Climate Pledge, said: “Decarbonising freight is essential for India to reach its net-zero goals. The strength of Laneshift is in the collaboration that brings together the key players: electric vehicle manufacturers, logistics experts, and leaders in infrastructure. This project demonstrates the ethos of The Climate Pledge – together, we can move faster to decarbonise operations and we are thrilled to do so in India.”

BillionE[1], an e-mobility-as-a-service company, will run 20 heavy-duty Ashok Leyland EV trucks (up to 55 tonnes) of varying payloads 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. Signatory Amazon 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. 

Shruti Narayan, Managing Director, Regions and Mayoral Engagement, C40 Cities, said: “We’re excited to announce this collaboration, highlighting the economic and operational viability of electric trucks. Focusing on key corridors like NH48 will optimise charging infrastructure and reduce costs. Aligned with initiatives like e-FAST India, this effort supports national priorities for freight electrification.

If electric medium-duty trucks were responsible for 60% of journeys, and heavy-duty trucks 35%, along the Bengaluru-Chennai route by 2035, it could prevent 231,000 tons of CO2 emissions and generate fuel cost savings of US£94 million – driving meaningful progress in India’s freight decarbonisation.” The Laneshift India EV freight corridor project is the first step in the development of a network of connected EV freight highways in India. It will bring together businesses, logistics service providers, original equipment manufacturers, charging point operators, and financiers to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks across India’s highways.

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.  Kartikey Hariyani, Founder & CEO of Charge Zone & BillionE, said: “We are excited to work with C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge under the Laneshift initiative to demonstrate the transformative potential of electric trucks along the Bengaluru-Chennai highway.

This project represents a significant step towards building a sustainable transport ecosystem in India.” 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.   Shenu Agarwal, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland, said: “At Ashok Leyland, we’re committed to leading innovation in the commercial vehicle sector, and this initiative is a significant step towards a sustainable future.

By deploying electric trucks along the Bengaluru-Chennai corridor, we aim to showcase their robust performance and underscore our dedication to zero-emission solutions. This project aligns with India’s broader vision for net-zero and highlights our role in promoting sustainable mobility.” The project demonstration will pave the way for many more businesses to transition to e-trucks.

It will open up innovative business and financial models and help further action for a just and inclusive transition in the road freight sector. 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 will help sustain the growth of EV freight throughout India.

Abhinav Singh, Vice-President of Operations, Amazon India, said:“India’s highways, like those between Bengaluru and Chennai, provide a powerful opportunity to demonstrate the viability of electric trucking solutions.

Our collaboration with C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge marks an important milestone in transforming India’s road freight sector and is crucial to accelerating the adoption of zero-emission freight.

The Laneshift initiative not only highlights the potential for electrification but will also encourage the partnerships needed to achieve a cleaner, more sustainable future for road transport in India, serving as a model for future sustainable logistics solutions.”

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References

1. ^ BillionE (www.billione.com)
2. ^ Introducing: Jobs For Our Future (www.c40.org)
3. ^ What happened at the U20 Summit in Rio? (www.c40.org)