C40 Cities and Climate Pledge Push New Zero-Emission Trucking Plan for India

By Amit Jangra | Published Date : May 15, 2026

C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge introduced a new roadmap to support electric trucks and cleaner freight transport across major Indian highway routes.

C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge have introduced a new roadmap focused on reducing diesel use in India’s freight transport sector. The plan mainly supports the shift from traditional diesel trucks to battery-powered electric trucks across important transport routes in the country.

According to the proposal, some of India’s busiest freight highways may start moving towards electrification in phases from 2027 onward. The plan includes around 20 important highway routes identified earlier by the Ministry of Heavy Industries. The long-term target is to create a larger electric freight transport network across India by 2035.

Freight Sector Creates Large Emission Pressure

Table of Contents

1. Freight Sector Creates Large Emission Pressure

2. Pilot Project Showed Positive Results

3. Charging Network Still Very Important

4. Industry and Government Cooperation Needed

5. Electric Freight Market Slowly Growing

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Road transport is still handling a major share of goods movement in India. Reports connected with the framework mention that trucks form only a small percentage of total vehicles, but pollution contribution from heavy transport vehicles remains very high.

Because freight movement is expected to increase heavily in coming decades, many organisations now feel cleaner commercial transport solutions are becoming necessary. Industry experts believe electric trucks may help reduce pollution levels if charging infrastructure and operational support improve properly in future years.

Pilot Project Showed Positive Results

The framework has been prepared using information collected from the Laneshift pilot project. This project tested electric freight operations on long-distance transport routes.
One major trial included a long 6,500 km route connected with the Golden Quadrilateral network. Apart from this, many transport trips were also completed between Bengaluru and Chennai.

According to the project findings, electric freight vehicles were able to handle long-distance operations above 400 kilometres in many cases. The pilot project also showed growing interest from fleet operators. Reports connected with the study mentioned that electric truck orders increased strongly after operators saw practical usage results.

Charging Network Still Very Important

One major focus of the proposal is expanding charging stations across industrial areas, ports and major freight highways. Many transport companies still believe charging support remains one of the biggest challenges for commercial EV growth in India. Without proper charging availability, large-scale movement of electric trucks may become difficult on long highway routes.

Industry and Government Cooperation Needed

Representatives from C40 Cities said cooperation between private companies, transport operators and government agencies will be important for faster adoption of zero-emission freight vehicles. The organisation believes long-haul commercial EV operations are becoming more practical now compared to earlier years. As logistics demand continues growing across India, many transport businesses are slowly starting to explore cleaner freight options for future operations.

Electric Freight Market Slowly Growing

Demand for cleaner transport systems is increasing in several logistics sectors. Companies connected with cargo movement are now paying more attention to electric mobility solutions. Many fleet operators feel electric trucks may become more common in coming years if operating costs remain manageable and charging support improves further. The latest framework shows that India’s commercial transport sector may slowly move toward cleaner and lower-emission freight systems over the next decade.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Commercial Vehicle

1. What is the main aim of the new trucking framework?

Ans: The framework aims to support the shift from diesel freight vehicles to electric trucks across major transport routes in India.

2. Which organisations introduced this plan?

Ans: The roadmap was introduced by C40 Cities and The Climate Pledge.

3. Why are electric trucks becoming important in India?

Ans: Electric trucks can help reduce pollution and support cleaner freight transport as logistics demand keeps increasing across the country.

4. What is one major challenge for electric freight vehicles?

Ans: Charging infrastructure on highways and industrial routes is still one of the biggest challenges for large-scale EV truck operations.

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