As part of the Climate Group’s EV100 program, Flipkart has successfully added more than 10,000 electric vehicles (EVs) to its delivery fleet, which is a significant step in the company’s goal to have a totally electric logistics network by 2030. This accomplishment comes after the company gradually incorporated EVs into its last-mile delivery services in the previous few years. Ahead of Flipkart’s forthcoming Sustainability Action Summit 2024, which is set for November 13 at the India Habitat Center in New Delhi, the milestone was revealed.
Currently, Tier-I cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai are home to 75% of Flipkart’s electric fleet. Flipkart stated in August 2024 that EVs were delivering over 55% of their grocery orders. Furthermore, the EV fleet was used for more than sixteen percent of grocery deliveries to Tier-2+ cities, including Lucknow, Sonipat, Ludhiana, Bhubaneswar, Malda, Hubli, and Vizag, throughout the 2024 holiday season, guaranteeing more environmentally friendly delivery during a busy time.
The efficiency of last-mile deliveries has increased by 20%, while hub-level operating expenses have decreased as a result of the deployment of EVs.
Flipkart has made investments in charging infrastructure as part of its transformation, collaborating with the Adani Group to set up 38 specific charging locations with 190 chargers in Tier-2 cities. In order to encourage wider EV use, the business also intends additional advancements in public charging infrastructure. In order to improve supply chain operations and increase the use of electric vehicles, Flipkart has also implemented a Last-Mile Aggregator model in Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, collaborating with fleet operators that prioritize EVs.
The company’s ongoing efforts to electrify its fleet and the significance of ecosystem interventions to maintain and accelerate EV adoption in India were underlined by Nishant Gupta, Head of Sustainability at Flipkart. He was certain that Flipkart’s collaborations with a range of stakeholders, such as financing organizations, OEMs, EV service providers, and partners in charging infrastructure, would help the company reach its 2030 target of having a fleet that is entirely electric for the last mile. Gupta went on to say that switching to EVs not only supports Flipkart’s sustainability objectives but also enhances delivery executives’ customer service while also making cities cleaner.