Widespread adoption of e-trucks in India likely in 2 years: Subbiah

Widespread adoption of electric trucks in India is likely to begin within the next two years as more logistics players move beyond pilots to large-scale deployments, driven by battery swapping and long-haul usage, said Vellayan Subbiah, vice-chairman of Montra Electric and a fourth-generation scion of the Murugappa Group, while speaking toBusiness Standard on thesidelines ofanewtruck launch on Sunday.

- DEEPAK PATEL

He said that within the next 10 years, about 70 per cent of trucks in Indiacould be electric, with the government boosting the shift through schemes that incentivise the establishment of EV charging infrastructure across the country.

“With any innovative technology, there is a point where just early adopters are trailing and testing it. ‘Then, the adoption increases, and then a tipping point comes, which is called ‘crossing the chasm’ by (US-based writer) Geoffrey Moore in his book. After this tipping point, everyone starts to adopt that technology. A similar thing is happening with electric trucks,” Subbiah said.