Walmart-owned Indian eCommerce firm Flipkart said it will deploy over 25,000 electric vehicles (EV) by 2030, in line with its aim to fast track the adoption of EVs across cities.
The company plans to transition to EVs across its city logistics fleet and help set up charging infrastructure around delivery hubs and offices. Flipkart has already started piloting and deploying 450 EVs, both two- and three-wheelers, across multiple cities, said a company executive.
Flipkart’s electric fleet will include two-wheeler, three-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles designed and assembled in India, and has partnered with Indian 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.
The announcement comes a day after rival Amazon said it had partnered with Mahindra Electric to develop “close to hundred” electric three-wheeler in India. The American eCommerce giant last year pledged to deploy 10,000 electric vehicles in the country by 2025.
Mahesh Pratap Singh Head- Sustainability & Social Responsibility Flipkart
“The journey started a couple of years back with early electric deployment. We have 450 EVs already and will have another 1000 EVs by this year-end. To fulfill our commitment, we need strategic partners and are tying up with OEMs (original equipment manufacturer) 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.”
Flipkart will also place requirements in service contracts, install charging infrastructure close to its 1,400 supply chain facilities, conduct awareness programs and encourage delivery executives to use EVs.
Last year, the eCommerce marketplace had said that it will transition its entire fleet to electric EVs within the decade by joining the non-profit Climate Groups global electric mobility initiative EV100.
