The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on Thursday said the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has set up an EV taskforce in which the research agency will lead matters related to electric trucks and supporting infrastructure.

The MHI has set up this taskforce in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and other agencies, ICCT said.

Through this taskforce, ICCT along with the MHI will engage with stakeholders through workshops and stakeholder meetings to gather their insights and recommendations on various aspects of e-truck adoption and related infrastructure development, it added.

“We are very excited to be part of this task force set up MHI. ICCT’s background in research on e-trucks and EVs in general will be of immense help in this. Through these stakeholder consultations we also aim to create a comprehensive mapping and analysis in the sector. The electrification of trucks in India will support sustainable transport and also commerce,” ICCT India Managing Director Amit Bhatt said.

The transport sector is the fastest-growing contributor to climate change. In India, medium and heavy-duty trucks make for only 2 per cent of the total vehicle population but contribute to 45 per cent of the overall vehicular road transport emissions.

Increased uptake of EVs will help India meet objectives under the Paris Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It is therefore pertinent that the work on electrification of trucks be commenced immediately.

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