Montra Electric has entered into an agreement with Wonder Cement to deploy approximately 250 Rhino 5538 electric heavy-duty trucks across a 1,450-km industrial freight corridor, marking one of India’s largest long-haul electric truck deployments in the cement logistics sector.
The electric truck fleet will operate on the route connecting Nimbahera in Rajasthan with the Dahej and Tuna ports in Gujarat, traversing key industrial regions in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The deployment is aimed at supporting sustainable freight transportation while reducing emissions across one of the country’s major logistics corridors.
The fleet comprises Montra Electric’s Rhino 5538 EV 4×2 tractor-trailer, a 55-tonne gross combination weight (GCW) electric truck engineered to transport heavy industrial cargo such as cement and steel. Designed for demanding commercial operations, the vehicle is built to deliver high payload capacity while enabling zero-emission long-distance freight movement.
To support uninterrupted operations, the corridor will be equipped with 13 dedicated charging stations featuring a total of 39 chargers. The infrastructure will cater to both conventional fast-charging trucks and battery-swapping variants, enabling a complete battery replacement in less than six minutes, significantly reducing vehicle downtime.
According to Montra Electric, the full deployment of the 250-truck fleet is expected to reduce approximately 39,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, highlighting the environmental benefits of electrifying heavy commercial transportation.
Commenting on the initiative, Jalaj Gupta, Managing Director, Montra Electric, said the deployment demonstrates the operational capability of heavy-duty electric trucks on continuous long-haul freight routes. Navneet Sethi, Chief Executive Officer, eM&HCV Division, Montra Electric, added that the Rhino 5538 has been engineered for high utilization and heavy payload applications, with the project serving as a scalable model for the future electrification of long-distance freight transport in India.
The partnership represents a significant milestone for India’s commercial EV ecosystem, showcasing how electric heavy-duty trucks, supported by dedicated charging infrastructure, can play a pivotal role in decarbonizing industrial logistics while maintaining operational efficiency.
