The charging infrastructure needed could affect the economics of the project. However the high utilisation of vehicles and effective charging routines can improve the economics. This large deployment could also show what is required to increase the number of electric trucks in operation. This could include driver training, service requirements, battery performance and charging availability.
A major issue with electric trucks in India is taking the technology from a small scale trial to something viable at scale. Whilst there has been more awareness of electric 2, 3 wheeled vehicles and passenger cars, there are different factors to consider with the heavy duty freight market. The trucks must be able to carry heavy weights, be reliable and have enough range. Fleet operators want to be confident that there is charging infrastructure in place and that they can complete the journeys assigned.
Having a large fleet like Amazon could set a good example to other companies, particularly those working in e-commerce, retail, manufacturing and third party logistics. If the vehicles are proven to be reliable and have competitive running costs then other businesses may be more open to considering electric trucks for suitable routes. Electric freight will depend on having the right vehicle, charging infrastructure, finance and viable economics. Having data from the large fleets will help manufacturers and logistics companies understand where electric trucks have the most benefit.
The planned 3,000 electric trucks from Tata Motors for Amazon shows the increasing importance of commercial fleets within India’s move to electric. For Tata Motors this demonstrates that they can be a viable option for logistics. The main success factor will be if they are reliable and have competitive freight costs. It will be important to know how much the vehicles are being used, energy used, downtime whilst charging, maintenance costs and cost per tonne km.
If the fleet is successful it could encourage more logistics operators to consider electrification. This would help to increase the business case for electric commercial vehicles in India. Overall this is a great opportunity to increase the number of electric trucks on the road however it will also create an example of how they can be run.
[Note: The 3,000 trucks is a planned deployment. The timing, models and details should be confirmed from official announcements.