Amazon is one of many e-commerce companies and consumer goods manufacturers ramping up EV deployment initiatives in order to save costs and fulfill carbon emission targets. Amazon claims to have over 6000 EVs (electric cars) in its India delivery network, with deliveries in over 400 locations. The company plans to deploy 10,000 EVs in India by 2025.
Amazon continues to decarbonize its transportation network by modernizing its fleet and operations, pursuing innovative electrification solutions, and exploring alternative delivery methods in collaboration with delivery service partners.
“Transforming a transportation network at this scale and pace requires innovative strategies,” said Abhinav Singh, Amazon India’s VP of customer fulfillment, Amazon Transportation Services, Global Specialty Fulfillment, and Supply Chain.
“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made toward our goal of deploying 10,000 electric vehicles by 2025.” We are still dedicated to decarbonizing our extensive transportation network.”
Amazon has engaged with local original equipment manufacturers in India, including small and medium businesses and start-ups, to offer new mobility solutions in order to alter its network at scale and speed.
The company collaborated with Altigreen to custom-build the first 177 cubic foot, 100-kilometer range, three-wheeler EV, which was able to replace diesel vehicles with comparable container capacity and range in its network.
Amazon has assisted in the deployment of electric vehicles, charging stations, and finance services with important industry participants such as Eicher Trucks and Buses, Altigreen, Mahindra Electric, Tata Motors, TVS, Magenta Mobility, Sun Mobility, and others in recent years.
Tata Motors customized the 210 cubic feet, more-than-120-kilometer range Tata Ace four-wheeler EVs for Amazon, which operate at a much cheaper total cost of ownership than standard diesel vans in Amazon’s delivery network.
“We are working with almost every electric vehicle manufacturer in India that has the potential to meet the demand from Amazon and its delivery service partners.”
In addition, the firm is committed to decarbonizing transportation in its middle and last-mile operations by piloting scalable carbon reduction technology. It will also collaborate with energy infrastructure and financing organizations to develop bundled solutions for transporters interested in switching to electric trucks.
Amazon is also a partner in the Indian government’s “Shoonya – Zero-Pollution Mobility” initiative, which will be launched in September 2021. The campaign’s goal is to hasten the transition to zero-emission cars for urban delivery and ride-hailing services.
“The Shoonya campaign’s core objective is to improve air quality in India by encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles for ride-hailing and delivery purposes,” said Sudhendu Jyoti Sinha, NITI Aayog adviser. “Amazon continues to play a critical role in driving sustainable practices in the realm of e-mobility by collaborating with their delivery service partners.”
According to experts, EV demand has increased year on year among e-commerce companies and consumer products producers. This is being done to cut expenses and fulfill carbon emission targets.
Aside from Amazon, many other companies are migrating to EVs, including Flipkart, BigBasket, Bisleri, Zomato, Amul, Hindustan Unilever, Swiggy, and Coca-Cola.
Flipkart, Amazon’s main competitor, has stated that it will deploy more than 25,000 electric vehicles by 2030. This is consistent with the Walmart-owned company’s public pledge to switch its city logistics fleet to electric cars. It would assist in the establishment of charging infrastructure around distribution hubs and offices in order to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India.
Flipkart’s electric fleet will feature Indian-made two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers. The Bengaluru-based company has collaborated with prominent electric vehicle manufacturers such as Hero Electric, Mahindra Electric, and Piaggio to develop particular cars for its first and last-mile delivery fleet across the country.
Flipkart has already begun deploying two- and three-wheeler electric cars in numerous locations around the country for delivery, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati, and Pune. Flipkart will also include EV requirements in service contracts, provide charging infrastructure near its 1,400 supply chain locations, run awareness campaigns, and encourage delivery executives to use EVs.
Zomato, a food delivery website, intends to deploy 50,000 EVs over the next two years. Zomato has partnered with Sun Mobility, an electric vehicle energy infrastructure and services provider, to power 50,000 electric two-wheelers. Gogoro Inc, a developer of electric vehicle battery swapping solutions, recently announced a partnership with Swiggy to advertise its electric Smartscooters to Swiggy’s last-mile delivery partners in India. Riders will be able to use sustainable electric transportation and increase their company productivity thanks to Gogoro and Swiggy.
Uber has launched Uber Green in India, allowing users to book electric vehicle (EV) rides, as well as a number of new collaborations for finance, access, and charging for a new fleet of electric cars and two-wheelers.
Uber will add 25,000 electric cars to its fleet in the top seven cities as part of a new push for electric mobility, increasing its cooperation with EV fleet partners like as Lithium, Everest, and Moove. In addition, the company has partnered with Zypp Electric to build 10,000 EV two-wheelers in Delhi by 2024. Uber Auto and Uber Moto account for more than half of its ride bookings in India.
