ZEVO, founded by visionary entrepreneurs, is transforming the electric vehicle industry by setting new benchmarks for innovation and sustainability. The company manages a robust fleet of electric vehicles tailored to meet a wide range of delivery requirements, emphasizing operational efficiency and eco-conscious practices. Through its innovative strategies and strategic collaborations, ZEVO is spearheading a revolution in zero-emission logistics solutions across India, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future.
In a recent interview, Abdullah interacted with Dhruv Bhatia, co-founder and COO at ZEVO, in which he discussed about the high points this year, and how have they positively impacted, emerging technologies or trends that will have a great impact on sustainability in transportation and energy, biggest challenges faced in driving sustainable mobility solutions, most critical barriers that must be addressed in 2025 to enable wide-scale adoption of sustainable technologies, primary goals or strategic initiatives for the upcoming year, particularly in advancing EV infrastructure and sustainable energy.
1. What have been the high points this year, and how have they positively impacted either your firm or the industry in general?
This year, ZEVO India crossed the milestone of having more than 2,500 vehicles in its fleet and worked on enhancing sustainability in mobility. Acquisition of major global clients such as Walmart and Kuehne Nagel also established it as a leader in the EV space. These achievements besides reducing carbon footprints in the operations also established benchmarks for the industry that forced opponents to become cleaner and efficient. By finding global players and growing its fleet, ZEVO displayed the possibility of large-scale environmentally friendly transportation, impacting the rest of the industry to focus on green logistics. These successes reflect ZEVO’s commitment to driving innovation, expanding its influence, and fostering a green economy, while addressing the growing demand for sustainable delivery and fleet solutions in a competitive market.
2. What emerging technologies or trends do you think had the greatest impact on sustainability in transportation and energy in 2024?
Circular economy practices and renewable energy integration became key trends for 2024, significantly transforming the space of transport as well as energy businesses in the world. Circular economy concepts, like recycling and reusing EV batteries, ensured minimizing waste and optimizing resource use while advancing the sustainability of production lifecycle. Integrating renewable sources, such as solar and wind energy, into charging networks helped transform the EV ecosystem away from fossil fuel reliance and significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Collectively, these technologies further reinforced movement toward cleaner, more efficient energy usage practices aligned with global sustainability objectives. Their adoption not only transformed the logistics and mobility operations but also laid emphasis on innovation in the pursuit of a greener future for the transportation industry.
3. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in driving sustainable mobility solutions this year? How did you overcome them?
In 2024, one of the main challenges ZEVO India faced was the lack of charging and parking infrastructure, which is one of the biggest hurdles across the EV sector. The company actively partnered with multiple charging and parking solution providers, creating a collaborative ecosystem that enhances accessibility and convenience for EV users. Such partners helped bridge infrastructural gaps to ensure seamless operation while working on the promotion of adoption. Through close coordination with stakeholders, ZEVO advocated for better support from regulation and more local solutions suited for under-served regions. This proactive approach ensured sustained growth in sustainable mobility, overcoming one of the most critical barriers in the industry.
4. In your view, what are the most critical barriers that must be addressed in 2025 to enable wide-scale adoption of sustainable technologies?
The adoption of sustainable technologies in 2025 actually depends on the alleviation of the two major barriers: infrastructure gaps and high initial costs. Infrastructure gaps, such as the inadequacy of charging stations for EVs or energy grids, are a barrier to scaling. Infrastructure gap requires massive investment through localized construction and can only be assisted by cooperation between governments and private stakeholders.
High barriers, mainly at the onset-higher costs for EVs, renewable energy systems, and advanced batteries-create a large barrier for mass adoption. Even though long-term benefits related to saving money and lower emissions are evident, upfront affordability must be improved. Policy incentives such as subsidies, tax benefits, and financial innovations such as green bonds can work to offset these barriers. By solving the barriers of this ecosystem, sustainable technology can confidently accelerate its adoption across each sector.
5. What are your primary goals or strategic initiatives for the upcoming year, particularly in advancing EV infrastructure and sustainable energy?
As an EV mobility service provider, our main priority for the upcoming year is to enhance operational efficiency in every aspect of our fleet management. A key part of this strategy will be the expansion of our fleet by an additional 5,000 EVs, significantly increasing our service capacity and ensuring we meet growing demand in key markets. Additionally, we will collaborate further with charging and parking providers across multiple locations to expand our operational footprint and enhance our fleet’s accessibility. By establishing strategic collaborations with charging networks and parking facilities, we will ensure that our vehicles can seamlessly access charging points and parking spaces in high-demand areas, enhancing service availability and reliability. This will help optimize our operations, minimize logistical challenges, and enhance the overall customer experience.
6. What innovations or developments do you see likely to have the greatest impact on the EV and energy industries in the near term?
Solid-state batteries and smart grid technology are set to revolutionize the EV and energy sectors. Solid-state batteries offer higher energy density, faster charging times, and enhanced safety compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries, making EVs more efficient and appealing to consumers.
This smart grid technology will smartly absorb renewable energy within an electricity grid, ensures stability, and optimizes energy distribution. It also provides an efficient kind of bidirectional charging for EVs that can serve as energy storage units, feeding power back into the grid during peak demand. All these will make efficiency improve, reduce costs, and push mass adoption of EVs and sustainable energy systems.
7. How do you see advancements in battery technology, charging infrastructure, or alternative fuels shape sustainable transportation in 2025?
Advancements in battery technology, charging infrastructure, and alternative fuels will merge together to change the landscape of sustainable transportation by 2025. Better batteries, specifically solid-state, will charge more rapidly and offer longer ranges. This will clear the last major consumer concerns regarding sustainability.
Better charging infrastructure will open access to more people and enable faster turnaround, making EVs more practical. Alternative fuels such as biofuels and hydrogen will diversify the sustainable options for very heavy vehicles or industries which can’t be electrified.
These developments will greatly diminish greenhouse gas emissions, increase adoption of EVs, and lead to a much more sustainable, consumer-friendly transportation ecosystem.
8. What role do you see smart technologies, like AI and IoT, playing in transforming electric mobility and energy management in the next year?
The primary role of smart technologies, like AI and IoT, will be transformative in the field of electric mobility and energy management. AI will optimize EV charging patterns, reduce strain on grids during peak hours, and IoT-enabled sensors monitor real-time performance.
AI-powered analytics will help predict energy demand and integrate renewable sources more effectively, reducing waste and generating stability on the grid. IoT will allow for the smart, interconnected infrastructure that supports innovations like vehicle-to-grid technology, where EVs are mobile energy storage units. Together, AI and IoT are enabling a sustainable, intelligent ecosystem to benefit both consumers and industries.