IKEA Supply, part of Inter IKEA Group, has deployed the first electric heavy-duty truck to run on the public road network in India in collaboration with its carrier BLR Logistiks, as well as other partners.

The truck just finished its 100th trip carrying IKEA goods between the port of Mumbai, the distribution centre (DC) in Pune and the IKEA store in Mumbai. The deployment phase began in October 2024. In addition to lowering transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, it has produced notable efficiency improvements, such as a turnaround time reduction of two to one day, an annual cost reduction of 16 percent, a yearly reduction of 30 percent in greenhouse gas emissions for the particular route, and an annual reduction in empty runs of about 160,000 kilometres.

In order to expedite container processing and establish new agreements between the land carrier running the route and the ocean service provider delivering the containers to the port, IKEA has shortened procedures with Indian customs. In order to facilitate the rollout, the land carrier has made investments in the necessary charging infrastructure. Transportation-related CO2 emissions account for around five percent of the IKEA value chain's overall carbon footprint. By 2030, IKEA wants to cut the carbon footprint of all its transportation by an average of 70 percent. This accomplishment is also a crucial step toward the goal of using exclusively zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles by 2040.

Claes Lindgren, Acting Category Transport Manager, IKEA Supply Chain Operations, said, "Although the purchase price of electric vehicles is higher than diesel trucks, we have achieved higher efficiency and cost reductions in the long term. This is an important step for IKEA and a strong signal to the transport sector in India. Through a joint effort with our partner, we have optimised the route, ensuring the truck is used more on the road and less during idling in loading and unloading processes.”

Abhishek Goyal, Director at BLR Logistiks, said, “We are happy with what we have achieved for this specific route and look forward to applying this way of working in the future. This deployment in India represents an example of how we create efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

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Bengaluru-headquartered electric vehicle company Ather Energy has introduced the 450X Overtones Series, featuring a tone-on-tone treatment across three colourways: Still White, Space Grey and Lunar Grey.

Over the years, the company’s e-scooter lineup has received multiple hardware and software updates, including features such as AutoHold, Magic Twist and Multi Mode Traction Control. Ather has also implemented Infinite Cruise, which facilitates speed management across varied terrains.

Ather Energy’s recent rollout of Atherstack 7 includes new safety features such as CrashAlert that detects accidents and notifies emergency contacts. ParkSafe for providing warnings regarding parking zones and LockSafe, which enables motor immobilisation via the app.

Additionally, the company is introducing a 900W charger, which decreases 450 charging times by 30 percent.

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Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ola Electric has announced that it registered 16,144 electric two-wheelers in June 2026, as compared to 20,697 units for the same period last year.

For Q1 FY2027, the retail sales came to 43,719 units, as compared to 22,252 units sold in Q4 FY2026.

“Q1 FY27 marks a significant milestone in our growth journey, with registrations doubling sequentially and June registering 16,144 vehicles - our strongest monthly performance in recent quarters. The sustained momentum reflects the success of our operational improvements, strong product portfolio and continued customer preference for Ola Electric. We remain focused on accelerating EV adoption through technology leadership, manufacturing scale and delivering a differentiated ownership experience," the company said in a statement.

Ola Electric attributes its performance to improvements in retail execution and product availability.

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EV charging and energy management company Kazam, in collaboration with the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), has unveiled a report emphasising residential charging infrastructure's role in India's net-zero journey. Titled ‘The Net-Zero Transition Starts at Home’, the document was released at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The launch was attended by Amal Sinha from BSES, Sameer Pandita of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Irfan Ahmad from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and other energy regulators.

The findings draw from Kazam's dataset of over 80,000 residential charger installations, gathered through field surveys and consumer interviews across 5,000 pin codes, including high-adoption states like Assam, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The analysis examines how EV adoption is altering household electricity consumption patterns nationwide.

India's EV transition diverges from global markets, driven by light electric vehicles, with two-wheelers and three-wheelers comprising roughly 90 percent of 2025 sales. These vehicles are typically charged overnight at home, yet nearly half of potential buyers lack access to formal residential charging infrastructure.

The report identifies three primary obstacles to safe residential charging. Prolonged overnight cycles strain grids not designed for sustained loads, causing overheating, socket melting, voltage fluctuations and inadequate earthing. Structural challenges persist in urban areas, where 70 to 75 percent of residents live in apartments, facing issues like lack of dedicated parking and resistance from housing associations.

Kazam and AEEE convened a roundtable with government bodies, utilities and real estate firms, proposing a four-layer framework defining EV readiness across sanctioned load, metering, earthing, wiring and awareness. Kazam also launched an online quiz for buyers to assess home preparedness. The report notes that for India's growing gig workforce, home charging is vital, as public stations can triple or quadruple electricity costs.

Akshay Shekhar, Co-Founder & CEO, Kazam, said, “Creating safe and EV-ready homes will be critical to sustaining long-term confidence in electric mobility and ensuring the benefits of EV transition are available to all. EV-readiness must become a core component of how residential projects are planned, approved and built, not as an afterthought. From affordable housing to redevelopment projects, charging infrastructure should be embedded into building approvals and occupancy certificates as a fundamental requirement. At the same time, schemes such as PM E-DRIVE and state EV policies can play a critical role in supporting residential electrical retrofits, particularly for low-income households and rental-heavy communities where dependence on electric two- and three-wheelers is the highest.”

Sumedh Agarwal, Director, Smart and Resilient Power and Mobility, Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE), said, “India has made significant progress on EV adoption being increasingly driven by people who use their vehicles to earn a living, but our residential infrastructure remains unprepared for the transition at scale. Charging access at home directly shapes the economics of vehicle ownership, particularly for delivery partners, commercial drivers and small entrepreneurs who depend on their vehicles for daily earnings. EV-readiness must now be built into our buildings, electricity networks and urban planning frameworks. The next phase of India's EV transition will be won or lost in our residences, and it must be safe, inclusive and capable of delivering long-term economic and environmental benefits at scale."

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Drivn, an EV leasing platform for commercial fleets, has formed a partnership with BillionE Mobility to lease and deploy 200 electric trucks. This collaboration aims to advance freight operations in India through fleet deployment, route electrification and charging infrastructure.

The first phase involves the deployment of 22 trucks for a cement industry customer under a long-term contract. This initiative establishes an electrified freight corridor. The partners project that this deployment will reduce CO2 emissions by 4,500 tonnes annually compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks.

Alpna Jain, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, Drivn, said, "Electric trucks scale only when the right ecosystem is in place. Reliable charging infrastructure, alignment across partners, and disciplined on-ground execution are all critical to making large-scale deployments successful. Through our partnership with BillionE Mobility, we are focused on ensuring high vehicle uptime, operational consistency, and efficiency across every trip. This deployment demonstrates that EV freight is not just about replacing diesel trucks, but about building a logistics model that delivers both environmental and operational benefits."

Kartikey Hariyani, Founder, BillionE Mobility and Sanjeev Kulkarni, CEO, BillionE Mobility, added, “At BillionE Mobility, we’re not just imagining the future of mobility – we’re building it. Electrifying India's freight sector is a collaborative effort. By partnering with Drivn, we are combining technology, operations, and financing to remove key barriers to EV adoption. Together, we look forward to helping customers transition to cleaner, more efficient logistics.”

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