
Green trucking is the future—but its success will depend on scaling infrastructure, making strategic investments, and adopting new fuel technologies while ensuring commercial viability.
By Rajesh Kaul, Vice President and Business Head – Trucks, Tata Motors
India’s trucking industry is the backbone of its economy, transporting over 60% of the country’s freight. According to a NITI Aayog report, freight demand is expected to quadruple by 2050, with the number of trucks rising from 4 million in 2022 to 17 million. While this growth is crucial for economic expansion, it also presents a critical challenge—reducing the sector’s rising carbon footprint. The report further highlights that trucks alone account for nearly a third of India’s transport-related CO₂ emissions, making decarbonisation both an environmental necessity and a business imperative.
A structured and progressive transition to green trucking offers the most viable path forward, ensuring economic growth while advancing sustainability. A pragmatic strategy—combining diverse fuel technologies, intelligent fleet management, and advanced powertrain solutions—will be key. Equally important is the development of enabling infrastructure, scalable investments, and forward-thinking policies, including real-world trials, targeted funding, and regulatory incentives to drive mass adoption.
A Multi-Fuel Strategy for Clean Logistics
The transition to sustainable trucking will not follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Given the diverse operational requirements across the industry, a multi-fuel strategy will be essential to ensuring cost-effectiveness and efficiency. For closed-loop operations, battery-electric trucks—supported by a robust charging network—offer an efficient solution. However, long-haul freight movement demands higher energy density and quicker refuelling, making CNG, LNG, and hydrogen more viable alternatives. While hydrogen-powered trucking remains the long-term goal, large-scale adoption will be gradual, with natural gases and hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2-ICE) leading the transition in the near term.
As clean fuel adoption scales, ecosystem development—including infrastructure readiness and cost optimization—will be critical in achieving parity with conventional fuels. This transition will play a pivotal role in advancing India’s decarbonisation targets—aiming for net-zero emissions by 2070—while reinforcing Tata Motors’ commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.
Making Green Trucking Financially Feasible
The shift to sustainable trucking requires a fundamental rebalancing of capital and operational costs. Traditional diesel fleets have well-established cost structures, with upfront capital expenditures (CapEx) offset by lower ongoing operational costs (OpEx). However, alternative fuel vehicles—whether electric, hydrogen, or LNG—will significantly alter this equation. While initial acquisition costs may be higher, lower energy expenses, reduced maintenance requirements, and improved efficiency over the vehicle’s lifecycle will lead to long-term cost advantages.
As India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, Tata Motors focuses on delivering the lowest total cost of ownership through a combination of advanced powertrain technologies, intelligent fleet management, and connected vehicle solutions. The company’s portfolio spans battery-electric, LNG, and hydrogen-powered trucks, ensuring that fleet operators get the right mix of vehicles to optimize both CapEx and OpEx. Through Fleet Edge, Tata Motors’ connected vehicle platform, customers gain real-time vehicle insights, predictive maintenance, and efficiency enhancements—helping operators lower downtime, extend vehicle life, and maximize profitability.
Scaling Infrastructure to Accelerate Adoption
For sustainable trucking to gain momentum, infrastructure readiness is critical. One of the biggest concerns for fleet operators today remains the availability of reliable refuelling and recharging networks. A simultaneous focus on vehicle adoption and infrastructure expansion will be crucial in instilling customer confidence and enabling a seamless transition.
A decade ago, limited refuelling infrastructure hindered CNG adoption beyond a few urban centers. However, with CNG stations expanding from fewer than 900 in 2014 to over 4,500 by 2022—and government plans to scale up to 17,500 by 2030—accessibility continues to improve significantly. A similar scaled expansion of refuelling networks is essential to support alternative fuel trucking. Strategic investments in high-utilization corridors, depot-based charging, and cross-sector collaborations will play a defining role in accelerating this transition.
Additionally, building dedicated green freight corridors along key highways will drive adoption by ensuring reliable fuel availability. Localized manufacturing of EV batteries, fuel cells, and hydrogen storage systems will also be crucial in reducing costs, strengthening supply chains, and enhancing long-term financial viability.
The Road Ahead: A Business-Driven Sustainability Transition
India’s trucking sector has long been a pillar of economic progress. Now, it must take the lead in shaping a low-carbon, high-growth future. Early adopters of green trucking will gain a decisive edge, leveraging their experience in alternative fuel technologies, evolving cost dynamics, and operational efficiencies. As they set new industry benchmarks, wider adoption will follow, driven by a maturing ecosystem and demonstrated business value.
However, for sustainability to drive real impact in the long run, it must be underpinned by economic viability. The future of trucking hinges on solutions that not only reduce emissions but also enhance profitability, ensuring that sustainability is not just a commitment but a competitive advantage.
The road ahead is clear: green trucking is no longer an aspiration—it is an imperative that will define the next era of cleaner, more efficient logistics.