How is Amazon Using EVs to Combat Carbon Emissions in India?
Amazon has announced a huge lead forward in its sustainability efforts in India by deploying 10,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in its delivery fleet.
The EV deployment has occurred more than a year ahead of schedule, reaching a milestone in Amazon’s commitment to ‘The Climate Pledge’.
From Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, the EVs are making deliveries to remote locations like Leh and Gangtok, covering 500 cities across the country.
Amazon’s EV pledge
The deployment is in line with Amazon’s aim for net zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040, 10 years ahead of The Paris Agreement.
The customised EV’s arose from collaborations with leading manufacturers like: Volvo Eicher, Tata Motors and Altigreen.
Amazon has pledged to provide affordable financing for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and trucks – helping to avoid EV adoption barriers.
The company has collaborated with government initiatives like: Shoonya and NITI-Aayog's e-FAST programme as well as local fintech firms, lending institutions and the small industries development bank of India.
Amazon’s EV goal aligns with India’s growing focus on e-mobility, contributing to the national goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2070.
The global tech company is also testing the use of long-range electric heavy trucks for its fleet, carrying out tests along the 350km Bengaluru-Chennai highway, under The Climate Pledge’s Laneshift Initiative – becoming the first e-commerce company to do so.
Abhinav Singh, Vice President, Operations at Amazon India explains: “Having more than 10,000 electric vehicles in our fleet and successfully testing long-range electric trucks are achievements that we are very proud of at Amazon.
“As a company and as a country, we must transition to zero tailpipe emission trucks to meet India’s net zero goals and cut reliance on diesel freight.”
The laneshift-India EV freight corridor (LIEVFC) project is the first step into the network of connected EV freight highways in India.
The project results the uprising of hundreds of new jobs as well as bringing together:
- Businesses
- Logistics service providers
- Original equipment manufacturers
- Charing point operators
- Financiers – to accelerate the adoption of EVs.
How are EV’s more sustainable?
EVs reduce carbon emissions by taking traditional diesel vehicles off Indian roads.
EVs produce significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions over their lifetime compared to petrol and diesel cars.
On average, an EV produces about half the carbon emissions of a conventional vehicle over its lifetime and fully EVs produce no exhaust emissions – reducing air pollution and improving air quality in urban areas.
As electricity grids incorporate more renewable energy sources, the carbon footprint of EVs continues to decrease.
The production of EV batteries is becoming cleaner, with some manufacturers setting guidelines for suppliers to use only renewable energy sources during production.
In some countries with high renewable energy usage, driving an EV results in almost no emissions.
There is also the fact that EV batteries can last around 17 years or 200,000 miles, compared to the average 12-year lifespan of conventional cars.
Amazon-India’s sustainability efforts
Along with EV use, Amazon has also pledged to return more water to Indian communities than it uses in its operations by 2027.
This builds on past efforts, including water efficiency improvements and projects benefitting more than one million people.
Current initiatives focus on restoring Bengaluru’s Yamare Lake and Hyderabad’s Sai Reddy Lake, replenishing more than 571 million litres of water.
Amazon's three-pronged water stewardship strategy includes: watershed restoration, clean water access and community water efficiency, whilst integrating sustainable practices like rainwater harvesting and AI-driven water monitoring across its sites.
The company also continues to reduce its packaging and prioritise recyclable materials while ensuring, this initiative started in 2020 when it removed single-use, thin-film plastic packaging – avoiding more than 5,300 tonnes of plastics.
Amazon has launched three projects in India so far through its ‘Right Now Climate Fund’, a dedicated US$15m fund that supports nature-based projects benefiting communities, climate resilience, and biodiversity in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
By integrating EVs, restoring water ecosystems and reducing packaging waste, Amazon demonstrates a comprehensive approach to sustainability that addresses both environmental and community needs.
As the company pioneers innovations like the Laneshift Initiative for long-range electric freight, it sets a strong precedent for global businesses to integrate sustainability into their operations while fostering local economic growth and resilience.
Explore the latest edition of Sustainability Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Sustainability LIVE.
Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.
Sustainability Magazine is a BizClik brand
