Bengaluru-based e-commerce marketplace Flipkart has released a white paper titled “The Last-Mile Leap: Empowering Delivery Fleets to Accelerate India’s Electric Mobility Transition”, highlighting strong interest in electric vehicle (EV) adoption among delivery partners.
The study, based on a survey of over 6,000 delivery partners (Wishmasters) across India, found that approximately 46% are willing to transition to EVs, indicating significant readiness within the workforce. However, adoption remains limited, with 94.3% of delivery partners still relying on petrol-powered two-wheelers. The gap between intent and adoption is primarily due to structural barriers rather than behavioral resistance.
The findings were presented at Flipkart’s EV Mela in Bengaluru, an event bringing together EV manufacturers and financing institutions to explore practical pathways for EV adoption.
Key Barriers to EV Adoption
- High upfront vehicle costs – 26.6%
- Limited EV availability in certain geographies – 22.8%
- Concerns around range and performance – 17.8%
- Charging access – 14%
- Performance reliability – 11.8%
- Servicing and lifecycle support – 7%
Operational Patterns Supporting EV Adoption
- 29% of delivery partners travel 40–60 km per day; 21.8% travel 60–80 km daily, aligning with the range of most electric two-wheelers.
- Petrol costs remain a significant operational expense, with nearly 90% spending between ₹2,000 and ₹5,000 per month.
The report concludes that while there is strong willingness among delivery partners to switch to EVs, large-scale adoption will require addressing cost, availability, charging, and support infrastructure. Flipkart aims to transition its entire last-mile delivery fleet to electric vehicles by 2030 under its EV100 pledge.
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