A study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has revealed that electrifying Amritsar’s door-to-door (D2D) waste collection fleet could slash fuel costs by up to 70% and reduce carbon emissions by 64%.
The findings highlight that replacing the city’s 200 diesel-powered garbage collection vehicles with electric three-wheelers and e-carts would save the municipal corporation between ₹50 and 70 lakh annually, while also cutting 16,000 kg of PM2.5 pollution each year.
CEEW’s analysis suggests that the transition is technically feasible since the vehicles follow short, fixed routes suitable for overnight charging. Models with payload capacities of 300–550 kg were identified as cost-efficient, offering a lower total cost of ownership compared to diesel counterparts.
Beyond cost savings, the shift could improve urban air quality, with each electric vehicle reducing approximately 1,156 kg of CO₂ annually, even under a coal-heavy electricity grid.
Amritsar, which generates over 425 tonnes of waste daily, is a priority city under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The study emphasises that electrifying municipal fleets aligns with Punjab’s EV policy, the only state policy in India that explicitly prioritises waste collection vehicles for electrification.
CEEW has recommended scaling the model across other Punjab cities, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Bathinda, and Patiala, as part of India’s broader push toward sustainable urban mobility and cleaner air.