E-commerce giant Flipkart has partnered with Mahindra Logistics Limited (MLL) as one of its key logistics partners to help fast track deployment of electric vehicles across its logistics fleet in the country. The company said it has committed to 100% electric mobility in its logistics fleet and will deploy more than 25,000 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. It expects Mahindra Logistics to play a significant role in working with various OEMs and help the company’s sustainable transition to EVs.
Mahindra Logistics, which has already launched its own electric delivery brand EDEL in late 2020, has partnered with companies in consumer and e-commerce to provide sustainable last-mile delivery across six cities in India.
MLL through EDEL will enable Flipkart in its journey towards building a green supply chain by not only deploying a large fleet of EVs but also creating a conducive environment for EV deployment and operations across the country, the company said in a press release. This would include building supporting infrastructure and technology such as charging stations and parking lots, training manpower, route planning and even battery swapping stations in the near future. Another key focus area will be technology and control tower operations to enable greater efficiency and cost competitiveness.
Flipkart has already partnered with many OEMs and introduced two and three-wheeled electric vehicles in its supply chain. The company said its partnership with MLL EDEL will further propel this momentum and help in deployment at a national scale.
Amitesh Jha, SVP Ekart and Marketplace, Flipkart, said, “Electrification of the logistics fleet is an important part of Flipkart’s larger sustainability goal and a key focus area for the company. We are happy to have Mahindra Logistics on board as our logistics partner, who will play a major role in helping us achieve our vision of making our logistics fleet fully electric by 2030.”
EDEL’s robust multi-city presence across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, with a plan to cover the top 20 cities by year-end, will help facilitate a seamless and phased transition to EVs for Flipkart’s pan-India supply chain, the company said.
Rampraveen Swaminathan, CEO & MD, MLL, said, “Mahindra Logistics is deeply committed to sustainability, in line with our RISE philosophy. The EV based last-mile delivery service EDEL is aligned to this and provides customers with a sustainable, cost-competitive and technology-enabled last-mile delivery solution. Our focus is on expanding our network based on our deep partnership with large enterprise customers.”
Flipkart has recently announced its partnership with leading electric vehicle manufacturers, including Hero Electric, Mahindra Electric and Piaggio, to deploy EVs in its logistics fleet across the country.