Eicher Trucks and Buses, a business division of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), has collaborated with Amazon to further enable the electrification of its middle-mile and last-mile delivery operations in India.
This collaboration represents a significant milestone by aiming to introduce up to 1,000 cutting-edge, zero-emission electric trucks across various payload categories into Amazon’s delivery operations over the next 5-years, deployed through Amazon’s transport service partners.
Vinod Aggarwal, MD and CEO, VECV stated, “We are pleased to collaborate with Amazon as we begin pilots for Amazon’s e-commerce deliveries in Indore, Delhi, Manesar, and Gurugram. This partnership reflects our commitment to promoting smart sustainable solution and developing a zero-emission transport ecosystem.”
Abhinav Singh, VP of Customer Fulfilment, Amazon Transportation Services, Global Specialty Fulfilment, and Supply Chain at Amazon India said “We are proud to work with key partners to lead the way in the electrification of a wide range of vehicles within our delivery operations. At this scale, there is no established playbook for fleet transformation, but we are making progress through collaborations like this one to transform our network. We remain committed and are well on our way to integrate 10,000 EVs into our delivery fleet in India by 2025.”
Sudhendu Jyoti Sinha, Adviser, NITI Aayog said, “The collaboration between Amazon and VECV marks a significant milestone in the collective effort to decarbonise freight transportation, heralding a pivotal step in advancing electric mobility in India. As an integral part of our e-FAST program, this partnership promises to yield invaluable insights for the broader electric mobility sector in the country. By embracing such initiatives, we pave the way for a sustainable and environmentally conscious future.”
Scope of operations
Initially, Amazon will progressively deploy 50 Eicher electric trucks in major hubs like Delhi, Manesar, and Gurugram over the coming months. The Eicher electric trucks featuring advanced digital capabilities will be built on its electric vehicle platform already in operation in bus applications. The trucks with deck lengths ranging from approximately 8 feet to 24 feet will come equipped with customised cargo stacking configurations.
Depending on the operation it will feature fast and slow charging options. The service solution also factors in availability of charging infrastructure, operational requirements, charging time constraints, battery capacity, and overall energy management strategies of the fleet.
