Why Amazon plans to deploy 1,000 electric trucks in India
What's the story
Amazon India has announced plans to deploy roughly 1,000 electric trucks in partnership with VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV). The move is aimed at bolstering the expansion of its quick commerce service, Amazon Now, across the country. The fleet will consist of specially-designed Eicher Pro-X electric trucks for intra-city logistics operations. These vehicles will ferry goods between large fulfillment hubs on city outskirts and micro-fulfillment centers closer to customers.
Service growth
Amazon's rapid expansion of 'Now' service
The deployment of these electric trucks comes as Amazon accelerates the rollout of its ultra-fast delivery platform, Amazon Now. The firm recently announced plans to expand the service to 100 cities across India and increase its network to over 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers. Cities identified for expansion include Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kochi, Mangaluru, and Visakhapatnam.
EV integration
Collaboration between Amazon and VECV
Abhinav Singh, VP of Operations at Amazon India, said the firm has over 12,000 EVs deployed across India and is continuing to integrate electric mobility into its logistics operations. VECV has confirmed that the Eicher Pro-X trucks were co-developed with Amazon, specifically for e-commerce and quick commerce applications. The companies have been collaborating since 2022 on electric truck solutions tailored for Indian logistics requirements.