Flipkart plans to deploy 25,000 EVs by 2030 in India
Our country is gradually moving towards the adoption of electric vehicles, India’s e-commerce incumbents are turning over a new leaf concerning their delivery fleet. Walmart-owned e-commerce marketplace Flipkart on Wednesday said it would deploy over 25,000 electric vehicles in its supply chain by the year 2030, helping it in achieving 100% electrification of its first and last-mile delivery fleet.
Flipkart’s electric fleet will include 2-wheeler, 3-wheeler, and 4-wheeler vehicles designed and assembled in India, helping boost the Make in India movement. Additionally, it has partnered with leading electric vehicle 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.
However, Flipkart has already started deploying electric 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers in multiple locations for delivery across the country, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Pune, etc.
“The journey started a couple of years ago with early EV deployment. We have 450 EVs already and will add another 1,000 EVs by this year-end," said Mahesh Pratap Singh, head, sustainability and social responsibility, Flipkart, in an interaction. “To fulfil our commitment, we need strategic partners and are tying up with original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to co-create solutions. We will add four-wheelers at a later date primarily for use cases in grocery and furniture, for their volumetric profile and weight," Singh said.
The development came a day after Amazon had announced its partnership with Mahindra Electric towards its EV plans for India. Amazon had last year announced that it would have 10,000 EVs in its fleet by 2025 in India. The Treo Zor three-wheeler, which Flipkart also included in its fleet.
Amitesh Jha, Senior Vice President of Flipkart’s Ekart and Marketplace, said: In the statement.
“We understand the implications of electrical mobility in achieving both business and sustainability goals and are working to pave the way for more EV adoption across the country. . “
Flipkart also said it would impose requirements on service contracts, install charging infrastructure near 1,400 supply chain facilities, implement awareness programs and encourage delivery executives to use EVs.
