1,939 chargers, 622 km: Kerala’s plan for India’s first electric truck corridor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has proposed developing India’s first electric truck corridor along National Highway 66, with charging facilities planned across the 622-km stretch from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram. The proposal is based on a study conducted by KSEB in collaboration with the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The study report was released at the India Clean Transport Summit-2026 in New Delhi.

The study recommends setting up a charging network with a capacity of 12.5 MW along the corridor. The required funds are expected to come from the Rs 2,000 crore allocated by the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries for public charging infrastructure under the PM E-DRIVE scheme. Kerala can also utilise the Rs 63.12 crore already allocated for a charging network in the State.

• The study projects a sharp rise in demand for electric trucks after 2030. By 2050, NH-66 would require 1,939 chargers with a combined capacity of 204.5 MW, involving an investment of Rs 338 crore, according to the study.
• The corridor’s daily grid energy requirement is projected to rise from 32 MWh in 2030 to 833 MWh by 2050.
• The study was based on Fastag data from four toll plazas, truck deployment data, GPS information from 13,355 trucks and parking information. Based on these inputs, it also identifies the number and types of chargers required and the locations where they would need to be installed.

“By creating India’s first electric truck corridor along National Highway 66, KSEB is demonstrating how the electrification of freight transport can be made practical,” said M.P. Rajan, Director, KSEB Generation and REES Department.