Flipkart looks to deploy 25,000 EVS by 2030

BENGALURU: Flipkart plans to have a fleet of more than 25,000 electric vehicles (EVS) by 2030 in line with its aim to transition its entire logistics fleet across cities to green energy vehicles, the company said on Wednesday.

The online retailer owned by Walmart Inc. will also create charging infrastructure at its delivery hubs and offices, a senior company executive said, adding that the company has started deploying 450 EVS, both two and three-wheelers, in several cities.

Flipkart’s EV fleet will comprise two-wheeled, threewheeled, and four-wheeled vehicles designed and assembled in India. The Bengaluru-based firm has partnered EV makers such as Hero Electric, Mahindra Electric, and Piaggio to make customized vehicles.

“The journey started a couple of years ago with early EV deployment. We have 450 EVS already and will add another 1,000 EVS by this year-end,” said Mahesh Pratap Singh, head, sustainability and social responsibility, Flipkart, in an interaction. “To fulfil our commitment, we need strategic partners and are tying up with original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to co-create solutions. We will add four-wheelers at a later date primarily for use cases in grocery and furniture, for their volumetric profile and weight,” Singh said. Flipkart plans to have charging infrastructure at nearly 1,400 supply chain centres.

Over the past year, the company has worked towards creating a network of ecosystem partners across charging providers, skill development agencies, aggregators, and vehicle manufacturers.