Wonder Cement has deployed around 250 Montra Electric Rhino 5538 EV heavy-duty electric trucks for freight operations connecting Nimbahera in Rajasthan with Dahej and Tuna ports in Gujarat, marking one of India’s largest long-haul electric truck deployments in the cement logistics sector.
What does this deployment involve?
The 250-truck fleet will operate on a freight corridor spanning approximately 1,450 km across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, part of Wonder Cement’s push to electrify long-haul cement transportation. The vehicles will carry full payloads on daily duty cycles comparable to conventional diesel trucks, with the corridor supported by 13 dedicated charging stations comprising 39 chargers, catering to both fast-charging and battery-swapping variants.
What are the specifications of the electric trucks?
The Montra Electric Rhino 5538 EV 4×2 tractor-trailer is a 55-tonne Gross Combination Weight electric truck designed for cement and steel transportation. It runs on a 282 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery paired with a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor, delivering peak power of 280 kW and 2,000 Nm of torque. Battery-swapping variants can complete a full swap in under six minutes, significantly reducing vehicle downtime on high-utilisation routes.
What environmental impact is expected from the deployment?
According to Montra Electric, full deployment of the 250-truck fleet is expected to reduce approximately 39,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, underscoring the environmental benefits of electrifying heavy commercial freight movement on industrial corridors.
What did company leadership say about the deployment?
Navneet Sethi, CEO of the eM&HCV Division at Montra Electric, said the deployment shifts the industry conversation from whether electric trucks can handle long-haul freight to how quickly fleets can scale them, adding that demonstrating viability on an intensive 1,450 km industrial corridor establishes that sustainable long-haul logistics is ready to scale today.
What does this mean for India’s freight electrification push?
The deployment reflects growing momentum for heavy-duty electric mobility in India’s cement, steel and mining logistics sectors, with similar large-scale electric truck rollouts underway across other industrial freight corridors as fleet operators increasingly adopt zero-emission solutions for high-utilisation, long-haul operations.
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