New Delhi
The Central government has launched a new scheme under the PM E-DRIVE initiative to promote electric trucks by offering financial incentives of up to ₹9.6 lakh per vehicle. This is India’s first direct support plan for electric trucks, aiming to deploy around 5,600 e-trucks across the country and boost clean, efficient freight transport.
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy highlighted that diesel trucks, despite being only 3% of all vehicles, contribute 42% of transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. This scheme is a step toward India’s net-zero target by 2070 and the vision of a developed India by 2047.
The scheme covers N2 and N3 category electric trucks, defined under CMVR. N2 trucks weigh between 3.5 and 12 tonnes, while N3 trucks weigh over 12 tonnes. For articulated vehicles, only the puller tractor qualifies for incentives.
To ensure quality, the trucks must come with strong warranties: five years or 5 lakh km for the battery, and five years or 2.5 lakh km for the vehicle and motor. The incentives will be adjusted directly in the purchase price and reimbursed to manufacturers on a first-come, first-served basis via the PM E-DRIVE portal.
A special ₹100 crore provision is made for 1,100 e-trucks in Delhi, helping improve the city’s air quality. Major firms like SAIL have committed to using electric trucks, planning to add 150 e-trucks and ensuring 15% of their fleet becomes electric.
Scrapping old polluting trucks is mandatory to avail the benefits, ensuring cleaner roads and a greener future. The scheme has been well received for its potential to cut logistics costs and reduce emissions.