Charging infrastructure needed to support India’s full transition to battery electric trucks by 2050

India’s net-zero by 2070 pledge requires achieving 100% zero-emission truck sales by 2050. While viable technologies exist, timely truck decarbonization is crucial to ease pressure on harder-to-abate sectors. Recent policies, including fuel efficiency regulations and the PM E-DRIVE scheme, provide incentives for battery electric trucks and charging infrastructure, but high-power chargers along freight corridors and logistics hubs can help to ensure adoption. Given state-level control over key levers such as land, tariffs, and grid capacity, a state-level assessment of charging needs is critical for effective planning.

This study assesses depot and highway charging needs for medium- and heavy-duty battery electric trucks in India, estimating charger requirements for 2030 and 2050 and mapping state-level demand using road-freight traffic data. The results of this study support four policy recommendations:

• Develop national and state level charging infrastructure roadmaps
• Coordinate grid planning for high-capacity truck charging
• Bridge data gaps in trucking movement through modern data systems
• Integrate battery electric truck charging in freight and logistics planning frameworks