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India's e-commerce giant's vision to transform the delivery fleet into electric?

The company plans to replace its entire fleet of delivery vehicles, currently comprising mainly of petrol and diesel-powered two-wheeler, with electric vehicles over the next decade

Zomato's decision to switch to an all-electric fleet is driven by its commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions The company, which operates in over 500 cities in India, has a significant carbon footprint due to the large number of delivery vehicles on the road By transitioning to electric vehicles, Zomato aims to reduce its carbon emissions and contribute to a cleaner and greener environment

The company has already started deploying electric vehicles in some cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, as part of a pilot project Zomato has partnered with several electric vehicle manufacturers, including Bajaj Auto and TVS Motors, to develop and deploy electric vehicles for its fleet

The transition to an all-electric fleet is not just driven by Zomato's commitment to sustainability but also offers significant business benefits Electric vehicles have lower operating costs than fossil fuel vehicles, and they also require less maintenance This translates into cost savings for the company which can be passed on to customers in the form of lower prices.

However, the adoption of electric vehicles in the food delivery industry is not without its challenges One of the biggest challenges is the lack of charging infrastructure in the country. While the government has initiated several projects to develop charging infrastructure, more needs to be done to ensure that electric vehicles can operate seamlessly across the country

Zomato has recognized this challenge and has taken several steps to develop charging infrastructure for its electric vehicles The company has partnered with various organizations to develop a network of charging stations across the country Zomato has also partnered with EV Motors, a charging infrastructure provider, to set up fast-charging stations for electric vehicles

In addition to developing charging infrastructure, Zomato has also introduced several initiatives to encourage its delivery partners to switch to electric vehicles The company has launched a program called ZEV (Zomato Electric Vehicle) to incentivize its delivery partners to purchase electric vehicles The program offers significant discounts and financing options to delivery partners who opt for electric vehicles

As one of the world's largest online retailers, Amazon has a significant transportation footprint and the company has recognized the need to reduce its carbon emissions from transportation In September 2019, Amazon announced its Climate Pledge, which included a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, ten years ahead of the Paris Agreement's goal As part of this pledge, Amazon has committed to purchase 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, with the first vehicles expected to be on the road by 2022

The adoption of electric vehicles will be a significant step towards reducing Amazon's carbon emissions from transportation. According to the company, the electric delivery vehicles will save 4 million metric tons of carbon per year by 2030, which is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of over 800,000 cars