Events in Chandigarh, Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar are helping grassroots stakeholders to clarify their doubts about electric trucks and learn their benefits
Over 2,000 truck drivers across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh are showing interest in switching to electric trucks due to an ongoing initiative in the region. This initiative, ‘Nayi Soch Ki Sawaari’, aims to educate the trucking community about the benefits of electric vehicles
CHANDIGARH: A 2023 report by Climate Trends indicated that air pollution impacts public health in rural and urban areas. Multiple surveys have also highlighted the high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across the country, indicating that deteriorating air quality is not limited to specific regions but is a nationwide crisis.
Inderveer Singh, Founder & CEO, of EVage Motors, says, “Commercial vehicles contribute more than 50% of the total vehicular emissions. Trucks are on-road for almost 18 to 20 hours a day, guzzling millions of gallons of fuel and emitting toxic gases that are impacting not just the planet today but our future generations.”
Can the exploration of options like electric trucks help change this bleak narrative?
Thakur Vir Singh has been driving a truck for over five decades across Northern India and believes that broaching a conversation about this subject with grassroots stakeholders can prove to be beneficial. Singh is a native of Himachal Pradesh and has experienced the positive impact of electric trucks firsthand. As he says, “Electric trucks are great vehicles. They don’t cause any air pollution and won’t harm the environment. Their battery size depends on the weight carried and other truck requirements. The more load it carries, the bigger the battery will be. I have seen electric buses running smoothly from Nalagarh to Leh in Himachal Pradesh. I have never seen these vehicles causing any trouble for passengers or drivers in the last ten years.”
Many drivers from Punjab, like Singh, frequently travel routes in Himachal Pradesh. Their awareness about electric trucks has increased thanks to ‘Nayi Soch Ki Sawaari.’ The state government’s commitment to decarbonising its transport sector and promoting ecotourism through renewable energy and electric truck adoption has also made a significant impact. With steps like the H.P. State EV Policy, in 2022, Himachal Pradesh became an early adopter of clean energy technologies and renewable energy systems. Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) was the first State Transport Undertaking (STU) in the country to introduce electric buses to mainstream safe, energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable modes of transport.
Considering the Nalagarh-Baddi truck union in HP is the largest in Asia with a fleet of over 10,000 trucks, such awareness programs aim to create a ripple effect by initiating conversations about the possibility of a clean energy transition. Drivers like Thakur Vir Singh can then carry their knowledge to other parts of the country.
The initiative is now reaching out to the trucking community in Punjab via events in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Jalandhar where a key communication strategy is ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ or informal conversations during quick chai breaks at roadside dhabas. Gamification is another tool that disseminates critical information; drivers are introduced to a life-sized version of ‘Snakes and Ladders’ where they can learn to overcome environmental challenges by making sustainable choices, as well as art competitions organized for truck artists as a creative way to facilitate these discussions. Animated awareness videos are also available on the YouTube channel and content hub, ‘EV OK please.’ The initiative is reaching out to drivers around logistics hubs in Punjab that witness brisk truck movement.The initiative has been quite successful so far, engaging nearly 2,000 members of the trucking community across multiple Indian states. These members have actively participated in discussions about their challenges, shared their opinions on the future of electric trucking, and expressed the need for greater respect and dignity within their community, among other concerns.
About Nayi Soch Ki Sawaari: Nayi Soch ki Sawaari is an initiative by Purpose to generate awareness about electric trucks amongst the trucking community. The trucking community of India is the thread that connects the country. Nayi Soch Ki Sawaari is taking this evolution beyond the decision-makers to the end user. The initiative aims to highlight the potential impact that transformation of the sector can lead to, especially for the drivers, helpers, mechanics, and other important stakeholders in the system that keep it running
