Indian steel manufacturer Jindal Stainless has added ten heavy-duty electric trucks to its fleet. For the first time, the company is using electric trucks to transport finished goods, building on its earlier introduction of alternative-fuel vehicles running on LNG and CNG.
Jindal Stainless has deployed its electric heavy-duty trucks on routes connecting its plant in Jajpur, Odisha, with Kharagpur and Kolkata, both located in West Bengal. These trucks may cover a total distance of over 350 kilometres one way, including approximately 227 kilometres from Jajpur to Kharagpur, and roughly 131 kilometres further to Kolkata.
With its LNG, CNG, and pure electric vehicles, Jindal Stainless expects to cut its CO2 emissions by around 26 per cent or about 71 tonnes per month, based on an estimated monthly dispatch volume of 8,000-9,000 tonnes and a combined truck travel distance of approximately 240,000 km. However, the ten electric trucks account for only a fraction of its green vehicle fleet, which also includes 80 LNG trucks, 60 CNG buses, and an undisclosed number of CNG trucks.
Commenting on the deployment of the new zero-emission
Commenting on the deployment of the new zero-emission transport vehicles, Jindal Stainless Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal said, “The deployment of electric trucks marks an important milestone in our efforts to decarbonise logistics and integrate lower-emission transportation solutions into our operations. Our approach is focused on adopting practical, scalable solutions that reduce our environmental footprint while maintaining operational efficiency.”
Jindal Stainless has, and all of them are the 55-tonne ‘5548e’ model. The company has not shared the specifications of these trucks, but Blue Energy Motors offers multiple configurations, with batteries sized from 282 to 423 kWh
The base configuration has a 282 kWh module-to-bracket swappable LFP battery, a 480 hp permanent magnet synchronous motor, and a four-speed automated manual transmission. Swapping this battery takes five minutes, while fast charging it from 20 to 80 per cent SoC takes 45 minutes. The 5548e electric truck can climb grades of up to 24 per cent and travel up to 200 kilometres on a single charge.
