Thiruvananthapuram, 5th February 2025: Smart Freight Centre India (SFC) hosted a workshop on Zero Emission Trucks (ZET), in Thiruvananthapuram today as part of its nationwide program aimed at driving the adoption of ZETs in India’s medium and heavy-duty truck (MHDT) sector. The workshop, supported by EV Accelerator Cell of Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL), convened key stakeholders from across the ecosystem to discuss challenges, opportunities, and actionable strategies for accelerating ZET adoption.
This workshop was a part of a pan India campaign under Niti Aayog’s e-FAST initiative aimed at enhancing the regional ecosystem readiness with curated knowledge share and deliberations on Zero Emission Trucks, covering topics across technological and operational aspects, global ecosystem developments, Government of India e-truck initiatives, city level ZET adoption opportunities, operational risks and deployment SOPs. SFC collaborated with GIZ as a knowledge partner to deliver this workshop and activate the sustainable logistics ecosystem in Kerala.
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The workshop included a dynamic roundtable discussion, moderated by Shirish Mahendru, Transport, Infrastructure Advisor, GIZ, featuring key leaders such as Rakesh Kumar Meena (Director, DPIIT, Logistics, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India), Manoharan J. (Head, E Mobility Cell and Technical Manager, ANERT), Johnson Daniel (Energy Technologist, Energy Management Centre, Kerala), Asha V (Chief Engineer, Renewable Energy & Energy Savings, KSEBL), Kulbhushan Kumar (Partner e-mobility and energy efficiency, Grant Thornton). Together, they deliberated on strategies to overcome barriers to ZET adoption and explored opportunities for collaboration aimed at driving long-term environmental and economic benefits.
Sri. Biju Prabhakar, Chairman & Managing Director CMD – KSEBL, in his keynote address, said, “Thiruvananthapuram’s commitment to developing a comprehensive plan for reducing carbon emissions stands as a remarkable example of its environmentally conscious initiatives. Kerala, second only to Maharashtra in EV adoption, is expanding its charging infrastructure. KSEB is also rolling out a statewide unified app-free ecosystem for charging. By leveraging innovative solutions, we have embraced technology and remain dedicated to integrating it into our trucking systems to minimize carbon emissions within the logistics sector. Achieving this ambitious goal requires collaborative support in the form of policies, resources, and economic measures, which can help establish a replicable model for the rest of the nation. I also applaud initiatives like the ZET Enablement Workshop by SFC, as they foster an ecosystem where stakeholders can share insights and address challenges collectively, paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient freight industry in India.”
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The workshop highlighted that India’s booming economy, with a GDP nearing $4.11 trillion, offers significant opportunities for decarbonizing the freight sector. Road transport, responsible for 70% of domestic freight, contributes 213 Mt of CO2 annually, with heavy goods vehicles accounting for 83% of these emissions. The PM E-Drive scheme, through ZETs, presents a transformative pathway to reduce diesel dependence. Projections for 2050 highlight ZET adoption’s potential to eliminate 838 billion litres of diesel use, save ₹116 lakh crore in oil expenditures, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 46%. The discussions also highlighted that zero emission trucks can reduce CO2 emissions by 46% by 2050. This underscores the need for collaborative efforts across industry and policy frameworks to unlock these substantial benefits.
OEMs like Ashok Leyland and Montra shared valuable insights on accelerating the adoption of zero-emission vehicles. They highlighted opportunities in the sector, and their latest EV product ranges, emphasizing advancements in technology, efficiency, and sustainability.
Shri Rakesh Kumar Meena, Director, DPIIT (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India, shared his thoughts during the workshop in Thiruvananthapuram, stating, “I extend my sincere gratitude to Smart Freight Centre and GIZ for this initiative. DPIIT has developed a Freight Greenhouse Gas (GHG) calculator, an online tool that helps users estimate the environmental impact of freight transportation. I am delighted that states in India are taking multiple steps to promote low-emission vehicles. The adoption of Zero Emission Trucks (ZETs) is a vital step towards cleaner transportation and aligns with India’s sustainability vision under the PM E-Drive initiative.”
The ZET Enablement Workshop Series brings together city authorities, OEMs, policymakers, LSPs, and shippers to shape sustainable logistics solutions. Previous consultations in cities like Indore, Chennai, and Delhi have addressed operational risks and SOPs to facilitate ZET adoption.
Key highlights:
- SFC shared the current stance of global ecosystem for e-trucks and its future projections followed by India’s role in the global ecosystem.
- The workshop delved into the need for a cleaner freight paradigm to address the socio-economic and environmental challenges in the landscape.
- The workshop highlighted the urgent need to raise awareness about the business, operational, cost economics and sustainability benefits of ZETs, aiming to drive the transition to sustainable freight practices.
- Attendees gained critical insights into deployment pathways for ZETs while addressing regulatory and infrastructure challenges that currently hinder their adoption.
- The workshop successfully initiated discussions on establishing regional networks and governance frameworks to leverage the region-specific freight electrification opportunities and support the effective deployment of ZET projects across India.
About Smart Freight Centre India:
Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is a global non-profit focused on climate action in the freight sector. Launched in May 2023, the SFC India program collaborates with the Indian freight sector to reverse the projected 400% increase in CO2 emissions by 2047. SFC partners with NITI Aayog’s e-FAST and key stakeholders to drive freight electrification and decarbonization in India.
