Amazon Bets on Own Charging Infra for EV Delivery Fleet in India
Amazon says that it is largely dependent on on-site charging facilities for its increasing number of electric delivery vehicles in India, while collaborating with partners to enhance charging and transportation solutions as it advances its sustainability objectives.
The e-commerce giant based in the US intends to roll out more than 1,000 electric trucks in its Indian operations within the next five years, in addition to the current fleet of 10,000 electric vehicles.
Also Read: IKEA Sets Up India Development Center in Push beyond Sourcing
The initiative targets providing deliveries to customers from Amazon fulfillment centers in a more sustainable manner.
In response to inquiries regarding the restricted access to public EV charging infrastructure in India, Amazon's Vice President of Global Engineering and Sustainability, Andreas Marschner, noted that this issue is not exclusive to India and is present in markets worldwide.
"The challenge you're describing is actually a challenge everywhere," Marschner says, referring to issues around power availability, grid capacity and charging infrastructure.
Amazon's EV operations in India are currently supported largely through charging facilities installed at its own delivery stations.
"What we have been indexing high so far is mostly on-site charging. It's also the same in India, meaning that we have the ability to charge the vehicles at the delivery stations at the point where deliveries start happening”, according to Marschner.
Also Read: JioStar Bets Big on AI Content With New Series Lineup
Increased access to public charging infrastructure with sufficient capacity would enhance EV adoption and operational efficiency, he stated, mentioning that Amazon is working with several collaborators on this initiative.
The e-commerce giant is broadening the application of electric vehicles past just last-mile deliveries. Marschner mentioned that local distribution in India is already being conducted partially via smaller electric vehicles. Amazon has recently revealed a collaboration with commercial vehicle manufacturer Eicher to introduce 1,000 electric trucks in the nation.
Moreover, Amazon is collaborating with Indian Railways to investigate possibilities for more sustainable freight transport.
Recognizing that insufficient grid capacity is a significant barrier to expanding electric mobility solutions, especially in urban centers, Marschner noted that overcoming these obstacles would necessitate cooperation among various stakeholders.
"We need to work with other partners to see what is the path going forward. We are willing and always interested to scale when it is possible, both from an infrastructure setup and from an overall cost perspective," he adds.
Also Read: Tata Motors Overhauls Technology Strategy for its Avinya EVs
Amazon has been speeding up the rollout of electric vehicles throughout its logistics network as part of its wider pledge to decrease carbon emissions.