Heavy-duty electric trucks in India are on the verge of achieving commercial cost parity with diesel vehicles, according to a report released on Thursday that positions battery-electric trucks (BETs) as a viable option for the country’s long-distance freight sector. Electrification of trucks is key to decarbonising India’s transport sector in line with India’s broader net zero emissions ambitions where trucks contribute around 50% of emissions.
The report, titled ‘Electrifying Indian Highways: A Guiding Framework for Zero-Emission Charging’, prepared by C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge, found that the cost of ownership of 55-tonne electric trucks is only 3-4% higher than similar diesel vehicles, and is expected to achieve full parity within one year. For the 14-ton and 19-ton truck segments, the cost gap is currently between 10% and 24%, but the report estimates these segments could reach parity within three to four years.
The findings are based on operational data from the Laneshift pilot project conducted along the Bengaluru-Chennai expressway corridor, and come amid increasing efforts to decarbonise India’s freight sector, where demand is expected to increase five-fold by 2050. The pilot has deployed 20 battery electric trucks across 14T, 19T and 55T classes on the Bengaluru-Chennai route. The fleet completed 600 flights and traveled more than 208,819 kilometers during the trial period. Working within a “Trucking as a Service” (TaaS) model, the pilot tested electric trucks across six industrial use cases and found that BETs can match diesel delivery times when supported by suitable fast-charging infrastructure.
The report identified usage as the key factor in making electric charging commercially feasible. She noted that monthly usage of more than 9,000 kilometers, which is typical in e-commerce and retail operations, significantly improves the economics of electric trucks.
Policy support can accelerate the adoption of these policies. According to the report, waiving toll fees for electric trucks on national highways could reduce total ownership costs by up to 11%, effectively eliminating the remaining price premium for many operators.
Besides the cost analysis, the framework proposed a three-phased roadmap to develop a contiguous, electric-vehicle-ready highway network across the country by 2035.
The first phase, from 2025 to 2027, focuses on the electrification of 20 high-density national highway corridors identified by the Ministry of Heavy Industries. The report said that this phase aims to create repeatable models for shipping operations to return to the base.
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The second phase, between 2027 and 2030, envisages expanding the network to connect industrial belts, logistics parks and ports adjacent to these corridors, shifting from isolated shipping stretches to integrated regional shipping systems.
The final phase, running from 2030 to 2035, proposes creating a pan-India network that would support mainstream adoption of electric charging for long-distance interstate movement.
A separate study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) said on Tuesday that transfer stations (truck stops) will also serve as a vital interface to the ecosystem. Analyzing Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in Delhi, Asia’s largest terminal, the study found that supporting electric trucks would require massive installed peak capacity in phases – 1.8-2.3 MW by 2030, 7.7-10.3 MW by 2035, and 18.4-24.1 MW by 2040.
The ICCT paper also said that battery energy storage systems (BESS) will also play a pivotal role as it estimates that 2.3MWh could reduce peak charging demand by approximately 20% in 2030 under high-power scenarios.
