NewzVille Desk
Heavy Industries Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy today launched a scheme to incentivize electric trucks (e-trucks) under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme. This is the first time that the government has launched support for electric trucks to help the country’s transition to clean and sustainable freight mobility.
The scheme aims to support the deployment of around 5 thousand 6 hundred e-trucks, promoting indigenous manufacturing and reducing logistics costs and carbon footprint.
To ensure the reliability of electric trucks, the manufacturers will provide a comprehensive manufacturer-backed warranty. This will include a five-year or five-hundred-thousand-kilometer warranty for the battery.
Speaking on the occasion, H.D. Kumaraswamy said a dedicated provision has been made to reserve incentives for approximately one thousand one hundred e-trucks registered in Delhi, with an outlay of one hundred crore rupees.
He said the scheme provides financial incentives for N2 and N3 category e-trucks, with demand incentives ranging up to 9.6 lakh rupees, depending on the gross vehicle weight. The N2 category includes trucks with gross vehicle weight above 3.5 tonnes and up to 12 tonnes, while the N3 category covers exceeding 12 tonnes up to 55 tonnes.
The Minister said that the potential beneficiaries of the scheme include e-truck users in the cement, ports, steel, and logistics sectors.
The scheme is a strategic move to support India’s commitment to reducing vehicular emissions and achieving its net-zero 2070 goals. To ensure the reliability of electric trucks, manufacturers will provide a comprehensive warranty, and scrapping old polluting trucks is mandatory to avail incentives.
