From Demonstration to Deployment at Scale: Impact of Zero-Emission Freight Corridor on the Grid and Role of Regulatory Landscape

Adopting electric trucks for highway deployment beyond pilots and demonstrations hinges primarily on operational reliability. Accessible, discoverable, technically compatible, and strategically located charging infrastructure can enable uninterrupted highway operations of electric trucks.

This technical note—the second in a series on scaling up zero-emission freight in India through corridor electrification—focuses on the electric truck charging infrastructure, including the corresponding energy needs and grid readiness, and the challenges of scaling it up for the Bengaluru–Mumbai corridor.

The note details the assessment of charging demand from electric trucks and its impact on the grid for the Bengaluru–Mumbai corridor for the years 2030 and 2035 under three adoption scenarios. As energy (electricity) supply and the associated regulatory landscape play an important role in the establishment of high-power charging infrastructure on highways, the note also delves into the regulatory considerations for scaling up deployment, discussing the supportive elements as well as the challenges posed by some of the regulations.

The first note, which put forth a strategic framework for corridor-level deployment of electric trucks using the Bengaluru–Mumbai corridor as a case study, can be read here.