IKEA Begins Using Heavy-Duty Electric Truck For Freight Movement In India

The truck is operated by BLR Logistiks and replaces two conventional diesel trucks that previously handled the same route in segments. This change allows the electric truck to cover the entire 120 km three-stop route.

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IKEA and its logistics partner reported the following changes after switching to the electric truck:

Claes Lindgren, Acting Category Transport Manager, IKEA Supply Chain Operations, said, "Although the purchase price of electric vehicles is higher than diesel trucks, we have achieved higher efficiency and cost reductions in the long term. This is an important step for IKEA and a strong signal to the transport sector in India. Through a joint effort with our partner, we have optimised the route, ensuring the truck is used more on the road and less during idling in loading and unloading processes.

Due to the high purchase cost of electric trucks and the need for charging infrastructure, IKEA and BLR Logistiks coordinated several changes. These include new agreements with ocean freight partners, updates to customs handling, and infrastructure investments by the land carrier.

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The truck runs entirely on electricity and requires careful route planning to avoid long idle times, which could affect efficiency.

Abhishek Goyal, Director at BLR Logistiks, said, “We are happy with what we have achieved for this specific route and look forward to applying this way of working in the future. This deployment in India represents an example of how we create efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to IKEA, emissions from transportation contribute to about 5% of its total carbon footprint. The company has set a target to reduce emissions from each transport by 70% by 2030 and aims to shift to only zero-emission heavy-duty trucks by 2040.