India’s journey toward decarbonising freight transport reached a landmark today as the National Highways for Electric Vehicles (NHEV), in partnership with Transvolt Mobility, announced the large-scale deployment of 1,000 electric trucks across the country. The milestone follows a year-long technical trial that began on World EV Day 2024 in Chennai, focused on commercialising electric heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs).
The trial, led by Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), had earlier pioneered commercial prototyping of electric cars and buses on the Delhi–Agra (2020) and Delhi–Jaipur (2022) electric highways. With the third trial for e-trucks, the initiative successfully brought together policymakers, financers, fleet operators, and logistics stakeholders to accelerate adoption.
EoDB launched a ₹500 crore blended climate financing instrument projected to support the deployment of up to 810 trucks. However, the overwhelming response has pushed the figure to 1,000 trucks, now financed and operationalised with the backing of public-private partnerships.
Key support came from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which invested $20 million in Transvolt Mobility, and a $57 million Viability Gap Funding (VGF) commitment under NHEV. The financing was facilitated through HDFC Bank’s broader ₹3,672 crore NHEV credit outlay.
Electric trucks have historically been major carbon emitters in surface transport. The scale and speed of private capital deployment in NHEV confirm that the policy trajectory is headed in the right direction,” said Shri Sudhendu J. Sinha, Advisor, NITI Aayog, while highlighting the role of the PM E-DRIVE scheme in incentivising clean freight solutions.
E-truck manufacturers and fleet operators are now determined to bring down costs from ₹1.25 crore to ₹90 lakh, making green freight about 10% cheaper than diesel logistics,” added Shri Abhijeet Sinha, National Program Director, Ease of Doing Business.
According to Transvolt Mobility’s Vice President Shri Siddesh Rai, the 1,000 trucks will serve diverse sectors including construction, mining, shipyards, dry/wet ports, and multimodal Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs). They will carry cement, coal, iron and steel, automobiles, fertilisers, petroleum products, and other freight.
The announcement follows a surge in the auto sector, which witnessed almost double sales of electric trucks in August 2025, after the government rolled out a ₹500 crore subsidy scheme under PM E-DRIVE in July, offering upfront capital incentives of ₹2.7–9.3 lakh per truck.
With today’s MoU signing on World EV Day 2025, India’s freight sector takes a decisive leap towards zero-emission trucking, underpinned by strong financial backing, robust policy support, and rising industry confidence.
