Electric Trucks Profitable on India's Freight Corridors; Delhi-Jaipur E-Truck Study Confirms Viability

Electric trucks can operate profitably on India's high-volume freight corridors, according findings released by the Smart Freight Centre following the country's first comprehensive corridor-level demonstration. The findings were presented at a high-level showcase at India Habitat Centre, attended by policymakers from the Ministry of Heavy Industries, and logistics leaders across ecosystem.

The multi-partner study tracked electric trucks with GVW ranging from 5.5 to 55 tons across the 280-kilometer Delhi–Jaipur corridor, one of India's key freight routes. Results confirm the corridor is operationally ready for large-scale electric deployment, marking India's shift from isolated pilots to coordinated electrification.

Dr. Hanif Qureshi, IPS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) highlighted the Government’s commitment to advancing sustainable and efficient freight mobility through indigenous innovation and strategic policy support.

He underlined that under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, heavy electric trucks (N2 & N3 categories, up to 55 tons) have been included for the first time, with incentives of up to 10% of the vehicle cost and a ₹2,000 crore outlay for charging infrastructure. He emphasized the need to strengthen domestic manufacturing of key EV components such as traction motors, converters, and advanced chemistry cells (ACCs); build a resilient supply chain to reduce import dependence; promote TCO-positive use cases across sectors like ports, steel, and cement; and facilitate affordable financing while expanding charging networks across major logistics corridors.

He added that pilots like the Delhi–Jaipur E-Truck Corridor are generating valuable data to guide large-scale adoption of electric trucks across India, marking a major step toward a clean, efficient, and self-reliant freight ecosystem.

The study identified both opportunities and challenges. Electric trucks demonstrated operational savings and reduced maintenance costs. The study found that the strategic deployment of ultra-fast chargers and depot-based charging could significantly improve fleet turnaround times.

Prof. Dr. Christoph Wolff, CEO of Smart Freight Centre, said, “Smart Freight Centre (SFC), in collaboration with leading shippers and ecosystem partners, organized the Delhi-Jaipur EV Demonstration Run. This initiative showcases the technical and commercial viability of electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (e-MHDVs) on one of India's key logistics corridors. The run captured real-time operational data covering range, charging time, energy consumption under live commercial conditions, with SFC providing an independent analysis to convert these insights into actionable recommendations for shippers, logistics service providers, financiers, and policymakers.

Transporters including Tejas Cargo India, Harsh Transport, and Instant Transport Solutions highlighted operational savings but pointed to financing challenges as a barrier to wider adoption.

SFC announced plans to replicate the Delhi–Jaipur approach across high-density routes including Bengaluru–Mumbai, Pune–JNPT, and Kolkata–Asansol, targeting a tenfold increase in zero-emission truck deployment.