Wonder Cement Deploys 250 Montra Electric Rhino Trucks, Electrifying India's Longest 1,450-km EV Freight Corridor
The trucks will operate across the Nimbahera–Dahej Port and Nimbahera–Tuna Port routes, spanning approximately 1,450 km across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, making this India's longest commercial electric freight corridor. The fleet will run fully loaded, on daily duty cycles, in line with the operational schedule of a conventional diesel cement fleet, demonstrating that electric trucks are equipped to meet the demands of long-haul freight, irrespective of distance.
The corridor is supported by dedicated charging infrastructure comprising, 13 charging stations with 39 chargers, enabling the fleet to sustain daily long-distance duty cycles within the turnaround times required by industrial logistics operations.
The Montra Electric Rhino 5538 EV 4x2 TT is a 55-tonne Gross Combination Weight (GCW) electric heavy-duty tractor-trailer, purpose-built for demanding industrial applications such as steel and cement transport. It is powered by a 282 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery paired with a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM), delivering 280 kW of peak power and 2,000 Nm of torque, with an 18% gradeability and a 6-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) to handle sustained heavy loads.
The truck offers a tested range of up to 198 km per charge on a one-way loaded, one-way empty duty cycle, reflecting real-world operating conditions. It is available in two configurations: a standard fixed-battery variant capable of fast-charging from 20% to 100% State of Health (SOH) in about 60 minutes, and a battery-swap variant that enables a full battery replacement in under 6 minutes, minimising downtime on high-utilisation routes like this one.
The deployment directly addresses the three constraints that have historically limited the adoption of electric trucks in India's long-haul freight segment: range, payload and sustained battery performance under heavy load. By deploying its fleet on one of the country's busiest cement corridors, Montra Electric aims to establish a replicable operating model for other bulk-cargo industries.
At full deployment, the 250 Rhino 5538 EV 4×2 TT fleet is expected to save 39,500 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
Kiran Patil, Managing Director, Wonder Cement, said, "Sustainability is at the core of Wonder Cement’s growth strategy, driving innovation across our entire value chain. The deployment of around 250 electric trucks on a 1,450-km industrial corridor is a significant step toward decarbonizing logistics and reducing our environmental footprint beyond manufacturing. In partnership with Montra Electric, we are demonstrating that long-haul freight electrification is both operationally reliable and commercially viable. This initiative reinforces our commitment to responsible growth and supports India’s transition to a cleaner, low-carbon future while setting new sustainability benchmarks for the cement industry."
Speaking on the occasion, Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director, Montra Electric (TI Clean Mobility Pvt. Ltd.), said: "India's freight emissions are concentrated on its long-haul industrial corridors, and that is where electrification has to prove itself. With Wonder Cement, we are putting electric heavy trucks into daily, fully loaded, long duty cycles on one of the country's busiest freight routes. This deployment moves the question from 'whether electric trucks can handle long-haul freight?' to 'how quickly fleets can scale them?' It underpins our commitment to deploy around 250 electric heavy commercial vehicles across India's key industrial corridors."
Navneet Sethi, CEO (eM&HCV division), Montra Electric (IPLTech Electric Pvt. Ltd.), added: "We are grateful to Wonder Cement for its partnership and confidence in this deployment. Demonstrating commercial and operational viability on an intensive 1,450-km industrial corridor establishes that sustainable long-haul logistics is ready to scale today. Our vehicles have been engineered for precisely these conditions at high utilisation, heavy payloads and demanding turnaround times. We are proud to work with Wonder Cement in setting this precedent for the industry."
The Wonder Cement partnership forms part of Montra Electric's broader commitment to deploy more than 250 electric heavy commercial vehicles across major industrial corridors in India.
Published on:
28 July 2026
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