Maersk to run 500 small EVs in India
Maersk is expanding its electric vehicle fleet in India. The latest announcement sees the logistics company aiming to deploy 500 small EVs across 26 cities covering first, middle and last-mile distribution demand driven by e-commerce.
Maersk already runs 200 electric vehicles in 15 cities at present and expects to more than double this number by October 2023.
As before, the company relies on a mix of electric tuktuks and small electric trucks which were introduced in September 2022. Since then, Maersk says the awareness around EVs that can support distribution logistics in India has risen, and with that comes “unprecedented demand from several customers”.
While Maersk has yet to name clients, Vikash Agarwal, Maersk’s Managing Director South Asia said e-commerce in particular had seen “unprecedented growth in India over the last few years and has tremendous potential to keep growing in the coming years”. He added, Maersk was “stepping up” to support the market.
Depending on their size, the vans offer a payload of 550 to 700 kilograms and a range of over 120 kilometres.
Jitendra Kapoor, Head of Middle Mile & Last Mile Distribution, added the range of EVs available in the fleet, would give customers options depending on their business case. “We have as small as two-wheelers that are delivering fresh ready-to-eat salads in the NCR region for a customer, to groceries and lifestyle items for another customer across the country.” NCR stands for National Capital Region Delhi.
Maersk said, the existing 200 e-vehicles have now covered more than 135,000 kilometres. The division between e-tuktuks and e-trucks as well as their deployment profiles remain unspecified.
For further deployment, Maersk is also investing in the development of a charging network for its EV fleet and is looking to harness solar energy to recharge at its warehouses across India. Further details remain undisclosed.
Globally, Maersk is aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2040.
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