Ecommerce marketplace Flipkart announced that it will deploy more than 25,000 electric vehicles (EV) by 2030.
It has already started deploying two-wheeler and three-wheeler EVs in several locations for delivery across the country, including in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Pune.
The announcement by Flipkart is in line with its public commitment to transition to EVs in its city logistics fleet and help set up charging infrastructure around delivery hubs and offices to fast-track the adoption of EVs in India.
Flipkart’s electric fleet will include two-wheeler, three-wheeler, and four-wheeler vehicles designed and assembled in India, helping boost local innovation and economy. Flipkart has partnered with EV manufacturers including Hero Electric, Mahindra Electric, and Piaggio, for specific vehicles to be deployed for its first and last-mile delivery fleet across the country.
Flipkart will also place requirements in service contracts, install charging infrastructure close to its 1,400 supply chain facilities, conduct awareness programmes, and encourage delivery executives to use EVs.
Amitesh Jha, Senior Vice-President of Ekart and Marketplace at Flipkart, said: “Electrification of the logistics fleet is a key part of Flipkart’s larger sustainability goal and in line with our commitment to the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative. In this journey of making our logistics fleet completely electric by 2030, we will collaborate and work with leading local players to procure and deploy electric vehicles while supporting the required infrastructure growth.”
Among the EVs deployed by Flipkart are the Nyx series by Hero Electric, Treo Zor from Mahindra Electric, and Ape’ E Xtra FX from Piaggio. The Hero Electric vehicles are two-wheelers that have extended driving range of up to 150 km per charge.
Treo Zor from Mahindra Electric is a three-wheeler designed and developed in India with advanced lithium-ion batteries and connected solutions that help in efficient fleet management.