IKEA, Flipkart Group successfully trial electric trucks on long distance routes with Climate Group
NEW DELHI: IKEA Supply AG and Flipkart Group have successfully piloted long distance e-trucking, marking a significant step towards the use of long-haul electric road transport in India’s complex e-commerce logistics. The pilots are the result of a strong collaboration across the transport sector, with Climate Group providing project design and implementation support.
Atul Mudaliar, Director of Systems, Climate Group said: “IKEA and Flipkart Group did not wait for the perfect conditions. They tested electric trucks in real-world conditions for long-distance operations, using available charging. Climate Group’s EV100 programme exists to catalyse this kind of ambition. More Indian companies can use pilots for large-scale electric truck deployment. This will also help identify priority freight corridors and remove uncertainty among the logistics sector on truck adoption.”
A first-of-its-kind effort in the country, IKEA used a 55-tonne electric truck to cover the 1,200 km distance from Pune to Hyderabad and back, using electric charging infrastructure available at public locations along the route such as highway motels.
Unlike petrol pumps which are widely available for diesel trucks, access to charging docks has until now been limited in the country. This is the first time a pilot was designed to test out public charging infrastructure, with success. The electric truck ferried commercial loads, showing the maturity of electric truck technology alongside the steady roll-out of highway charging networks.
Ewelina Taylor, Global Transport Manager, IKEA Supply AG: “Electrification of transport plays an important role in phasing out fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the IKEA supply chain. We are aiming for zero emission transportation and 100% renewable energy across our operation for the supply of IKEA products between suppliers and retailers. This pilot showed us that decarbonising long-haul freight by transitioning to electric can be commercially viable. It also demonstrated that the technology is ready to meet targets we’ve set under Climate Group’s EV100 programme. The trial highlighted the crucial need for route planning including availability of high-capacity chargers and optimising use of small-capacity chargers on the highways for large-scale deployment. We are proud to lead the change to electric trucks in India.”
The pilot brought together IKEA, BLR Logistiks, SANY, Statiq, pManifold and Climate Group, highlighting the importance of coordinated action between shippers, logistics service providers, original equipment manufacturers, charge point operators and technical experts. Unified efforts like these are essential for large-scale electrification of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in India, grounded in strong techno-commercial viability.
Mrinmoy Dasgupta, Business Development Manager, Supply Chain Operations Category Land- South Asia, IKEA Supply AG: “Our main concern was whether an electric truck could complete a 1,200 km round trip without compromising our delivery schedules. The two successful runs between Pune and Hyderabad have instilled confidence in the readiness of e-trucks for Indian highways. The vehicle performed well, navigating heavy monsoon rains and varied terrain with the same reliability as our diesel fleet. We used public charging stations along the route, showing that the existing infrastructure can support heavy-duty e-freight. This experience has demonstrated the feasibility of scaling electric truck operations. We have moved from testing a concept to proving a viable solution for more sustainable freight operations across India.”
In the pilot with Flipkart Group, trial runs were conducted along the Delhi–Jaipur and Delhi–Agra corridors, with Golden Aero Logistics as the logistics service provider and Kalyani Powertrain as the electric truck manufacturer. These inter-warehouse trials focused on time-sensitive operations and provided practical insights into deploying electric trucks within their e-commerce supply chains.
Nishant Gupta, Head of Sustainability, Flipkart Group, said: “Decarbonising our e-commerce supply chain has been a phased, deliberate journey for Flipkart, beginning with large-scale last-mile electrification and now expanding into upstream logistics. With over 20,000 electric vehicles deployed during the recent festive season, the successful trials of the long-haul 32-feet electric truck pilot on corridors such as Delhi–Jaipur and Delhi–Agra represent the next chapter of our transition as part of our commitment to Climate Group’s EV100 initiative. While commercial viability will guide how electric trucks scale, pilots like these, alongside our work on partner enablement, training and infrastructure, are essential to building a low-emissions logistics ecosystem at scale.”
IKEA and Flipkart Group have been members of Climate Group’s EV100 programme, with the ambition to be zero emission shippers by 2040.
Together, the IKEA and Flipkart pilots establish a credible case for scaling electric trucks operations and offer a practical framework for future collaborations in this sector.
