Critical policy interventions backed by fleet modernisation and robust infrastructure planning can help increase adoption of ZEVs on important freight corridors of the country
The world is undergoing a decisive structural shift away from fossil fuels. India has positioned itself as an early and proactive participant in this transition, pursuing cleaner energy pathways to support long-term economic growth and climate objectives. Within this transition, freight transport represents a particularly critical emissions hotspot.
Diesel-powered trucks, which move nearly 70 percent of India’s estimated 4.6 billion tonnes of freight each year, account for a disproportionate share of energy consumption and pollution. Robust and forward-looking policy interventions in this segment has the potential to reduce energy demand by as much as 30% by 2050 compared to business-as-usual trajectories, delivering savings of nearly 70 million tonnes of oil equivalent.
According to a report, the trucking sector is responsible for 34% of CO2 emissions and 53% of particulate matter (PM) emissions from India’s road transport. In this segment too, Medium and heavy-duty trucks (MHDTs) form the backbone of goods movement in the country.
Though they represent a small fraction of the total vehicle stock, these vehicles are responsible for a disproportionately large amount of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it essential for their transition to Zero Emission Vehicles.
However, despite the progress made so far, higher adoption of ZEVs, especially on critical freight corridors across the country, have been mostly hampered by various challenges that include infrastructure gaps, issues arising out of the ever-changing technology landscape and perceptions associated with these vehicles.
A new study by CEEW zeroed in on one of the crucial freight and passenger corridors of India – The Delhi-Agra Highway – to examine the opportunities and challenges for ZEV adoption through the lens of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI). Let us take a look at the findings.
Fig 1: Delhi-Agra Expressway. Pic: Financial Express
The Importance Of The Delhi-Agra Freight Corridor
According to the study, the “Delhi-Agra highway is a key freight corridor that spans 250 km across multiple logistics hubs, warehouses, and industrial zones, such as Faridabad, Palwal, and Hodal, as well as major areas in the National Capital Region (NCR), Mathura, Vrindavan, and Agra.”
Designated as a priority corridor by the government, the highway is also a critical part of the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) and the Golden Quadrilateral that helps link the east-west and north-south corridors, carrying “time-sensitive perishables, high-volume low-value bulk goods, and essential consumption items.”
Adoption of ZEVs on the Delhi-Agra Highway: Key Aspects
- Battery Improvements: The study noted that electrification potential is “highly sensitive” to modest improvements in battery range, noting that a “400-km range could accommodate the daily travel demand of over 70 per cent of MDTs and 60 per cent of HDTs. It argued that the “average daily dwell time per break (44 minutes for HDTs versus 38 minutes for MDTs) is conducive to charging without drastically overhauling intra-day schedules.”
- Charging Infrastructure: The corridor includes a 500-metre buffer on both sides,covering a total area of 204 km². It notes that around “50 per cent of the land along the corridor is unsuitable for EV charging infrastructure”, rendering only 12 per cent area as having “high suitability” “This indicates that high-suitability zones are mainly located near urban and peri-urban nodes as potential EV charging locations,” it concluded.
- Commodity Focus: The corridor mostly caters to essential items like cement, construction materials, food grains, dairy, and rubber-based goods, commodities which are essential and low value. This presents “a compelling case for early ZET deployment in these logistics chains”, the study noted. Since dairy and perishable goods form a significant share of these commodities, the study makes the case for “a natural entry point for temperature-controlled reefers or refrigerated trucks.”
- Relevance of Anchor Nodes and Distributed Networks: The study notes that “Anchor nodes emphasise centralised capacity for high-demand zones, while distributed networks prioritise accessibility and flexibility across broader geographic areas, indicative of the scale versus spread trade-off. The hub model’s strength lies in operational efficiency and a lower site count. This strategy emphasises concentrated charging at fewer, high-capacity locations.”
Fig 2: A self-driving truck operated by Daimler unit Torc Robotics undergoes testing on a U.S. highway in this undated handout photo. Torc Robotics/Handout via REUTERS
ZEV Adoption: The Way Forward
Noting that its survey showed that BS-III vehicles accounted for one-third of the fleet, the study argues that fleet modernisation was the way forward. “Digitalisation and integrating fleet telematics will facilitate optimal route planning and minimise downtime. These interventions offer twin benefits of lowering emissions, fuel and running costs, and improving logistics efficiency,” it argued.
The study also recommended “Tent pole ZET pilots”, by targeting “use-cases characterised by predictable routes, high utilisation rates and recurring nature of trips, especially 6×4 configuration HDTs”. It said, “real-world demonstration of ZET viability from perishables to bulk aggregates will boost their acceptance and build confidence among drivers, operators and LSPs.”
“Harnessing the latent capacity of underutilised, upkeep of nonfunctional, or upgrading 60 kW–120 kW to 240 kW (CCS2) and above, are quick and cost-effective ways to expand the EVCI network. Likewise, co-locating new or upgrading/retrofitting existing EVCI alongside retail outlets of OMCs presents additional opportunities to functionally strengthen the capacity of highway corridor EVCI and reduce land acquisition costs and deployment time,” it concluded.
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