Amazon Announces Three-Wheel Electric Delivery Vehicles in India

Amazon’s five-year plan in India: 10,000 electric delivery vehicles deployed by 2025. Yesterday, it took a big step toward that by announcing a partnership with Mahindra, the Indian e-mobility giant.

The announcement may have made things official, but Amazon and Mahindra have been getting busy for a while.

• The Treo Zor—Mahindra’s three-wheel EV with a ~1,200 lb carrying capacity—has already been deployed in seven cities, including New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

Looking ahead: Close to 100 of the electric rickshaws are in circulation so far, but Amazon India expects to ramp up that number for use by its delivery service partners. Amazon's betting big on e-comm in India, and these EVs are part of the strategy.

Zoom out: For India’s part, the government has thrown its weight behind promoting EVs and the development of charging infrastructure. In 2015, it kicked off a seven-year FAME initiative (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric vehicles). Since it’s slated to wrap up on March 31, 2022, there’s only one year left to advance those goals—and the Amazon-Mahindra linkup could act as a propeller.