Montra Electric, part of the Murugappa Group, has announced a major agreement to supply approximately 250 Rhino 5538 EV heavy-duty electric trucks to Wonder Cement. This deployment marks one of India’s most ambitious electric freight initiatives, creating a dedicated electrified corridor for cement logistics.
The trucks will operate along a 1,450-kilometer industrial freight corridor connecting Wonder Cement’s plant in Nimbahera, Rajasthan, to the port locations of Dahej and Tuna in Gujarat. The route passes through Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, spanning four states and serving high-volume movement of cement and related industrial cargo
The deployment centers on the Rhino 5538 EV 4×2 tractor-trailer, a 55-tonne Gross Combination Weight (GCW) vehicle engineered for demanding long-haul and industrial applications. Powered by a 282 kWh LFP battery pack, it delivers 380 HP and 2,000 Nm of torque, with a claimed range of around 198 km under standard test conditions. The truck features a 6-speed AMT transmission and supports both fixed-battery fast-charging and battery-swapping variants.
To ensure seamless operations, the corridor will include 13 dedicated charging stations equipped with 39 chargers. These facilities will support both conventional DC fast charging and Montra’s advanced battery-swapping technology, which enables a full battery replacement in under six minutes. This minimizes downtime and supports high-utilization fleet operations.
Montra estimates that the full 250-truck fleet will reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 39,500 tonnes, advancing sustainability goals in the cement and logistics sectors.
Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director, Montra Electric, highlighted the strategic importance: “This deployment puts heavy electric vehicles into continuous duty cycles on key industrial routes to demonstrate real-world operational viability.”
Navneet Sethi, CEO of Montra Electric’s eM&HCV division, added that the vehicles are engineered for high utilization and heavy payloads, aiming to create a repeatable model for long-haul fleet electrification across India.
This partnership with Wonder Cement builds on Montra Electric’s growing presence in the heavy-duty EV segment. The Rhino 5538 EV has already seen deployments with other major players in cement and industrial logistics. Backed by features like a 10-year/9 lakh km annual maintenance contract, 95% uptime guarantees, and support under government schemes such as PM E-Drive, the model addresses key barriers to EV adoption in commercial transport, including range, charging time, and total cost of ownership.
The initiative is expected to strengthen green logistics on one of India’s longest electrified freight corridors, serving as a blueprint for future large-scale electric truck deployments in mining, steel, port connectivity, and bulk cargo movement. As India pushes toward net-zero emissions and sustainable industrial transport, projects like this underscore the accelerating transition from diesel to electric in the heavy commercial vehicle space.
