Scale Coalition Launched to Speed India’s Shift To Electric Trucks

Intent on Wednesday launched the Scale Coalition, an initiative that brings together industry leaders to accelerate the adoption of heavy-duty electric trucks across India. 

Scale has been established to aggregate demand from leading companies across sectors, enabling a coordinated transition from diesel powered fleets to electric alternatives. The coalition is designed as a platform for aggregation, enabling companies to benefit from economies of scale. 

Targeted at some of India’s largest emitters, the coalition is built on a shared vision: greener freight that is cleaner, smarter, and more cost-effective. By pooling demand and fostering collaboration, it will unlock the economics of electrification - helping companies cut fuel costs while accelerating the country’s transition to zero-emission logistics, the statement said. 

Many of the design principles of Scale are based on the early design of India’s electric bus program, which has seen widespread adoption and a reduction in operating costs through better and more standardized contracts.  

The compnay said that it is targeted at achieving a total demand of 500 trucks over three years, starting with immediate deployment of the first 50. SCALE will be delivered through industry partnerships – including qualified logistics service providers, manufacturers of electric trucks, charge point operators and financiers. SCALE will also partner with think tanks as appropriate to increase awareness and build the ecosystem at large. 

“Heavy-duty freight is critical to our economy, but it is also a major contributor to emissions. By uniting industry leaders around the adoption of electric trucks, SCALE will help companies demonstrate how collaboration and innovation can help us transition to cleaner, more efficient mobility. This initiative is fully aligned with the Government of India’s vision for sustainable transport and will contribute meaningfully to our national goals of reducing carbon emissions while enhancing logistics competitiveness,” said Nitin Gadkari, Honourable Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India.   

"I am looking forward to fostering deeper collaboration with India’s corporate leaders as we look to transition freight to greener alternatives," Mahua Acharya, CEO INTENT.  

Trucking accounts for 40% of India’s transport related emissions, is the largest consumer of diesel at 64%, and occupy a very significant share of the economic space at 16% of the national GDP.  Given that India’s emissions are set to grow for another 25 years owing to high economic growth, a conversion to electric presents a timely opportunity to both achieve efficiency, green transportation and reduce freight costs for industry.