Why uptime is becoming the defining metric in India’s logistics sector as electric commercial vehicles gain ground.
12 Oct 2025 | 6131 Views | By Saju Nair, Montra Electric
For decades, Indian fleet owners have focused on one thing above all: “Kitna kamata hai?” a shorthand for how much revenue a vehicle can generate after costs. But India’s logistics sector is now undergoing a transformation, with electric commercial vehicles (ECVs) beginning to make significant inroads. Retail sales ...
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For decades, Indian fleet owners have focused on one thing above all: “Kitna kamata hai?” a shorthand for how much revenue a vehicle can generate after costs. But India’s logistics sector is now undergoing a transformation, with electric commercial vehicles (ECVs) beginning to make significant inroads. Retail sales of ECVs surged by 82% year-on-year in May 2025, driven by light goods vehicles and buses, illustrating that adoption is moving from niche to mainstream. Against this backdrop, the more pressing question is becoming: “Kitna uptime hai?,” how reliably and consistently is the vehicle available for service.
The Cost of Downtime
In logistics, every hour of downtime translates into a loss of productivity, revenue, and confidence. A breakdown, a refuelling delay, or an extended spell in the workshop means routes go unserved, goods remain undelivered, and client commitments are put at risk. Electric commercial vehicles, particularly light goods carriers and small commercial vehicles (SCVs), which form the backbone of last-mile delivery, are especially affected: a single day of downtime can disrupt dozens of e-commerce, retail, and FMCG deliveries. The urgency is reinforced by the fact that e-SCVs and light goods carriers are now driving the bulk of e-CV adoption in India. After years of niche volumes, monthly sales have begun crossing four-figure marks consistently, with this sub-segment alone accounting for a clear majority of industry demand. For operators in last-mile logistics, where turnaround times are tight, this makes uptime a critical business variable.
Policymakers have already recognized this, backing the logistics sector with targeted measures. Subsidies under the newly announced PM e-DRIVE program are accelerating the rollout of charging stations and electric commercial vehicles, creating the foundation for a rapid transition.
Building on this momentum, electric commercial vehicles are beginning to redefine the game. By design, they reduce mechanical complexity, with fewer moving parts and simpler drivetrains. That translates into fewer breakdowns and longer stretches on the road without interruption. For eSCVs, this reliability is critical, as they often operate on thin margins and tight delivery windows. Telematics and predictive maintenance add further resilience, allowing operators to monitor battery health, motor performance, and load conditions in real time, addressing issues before they escalate into downtime. The shift from reactive repairs to preventive care marks a turning point in how fleets can manage reliability.
Beyond the Vehicle
Yet uptime is not just about the vehicle. It depends equally on the charging infrastructure and the on-road support network. A capable service ecosystem—with quick diagnostics, trained technicians, and ready parts availability – prevents long downtimes. Equally important is reliable charging access, since even short outages or long queues at charging points can immobilize fleets. The uptime equation also varies by geography. While larger fleets in metros are beginning to benefit from faster charging corridors, eSCVs operating in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where EV adoption is accelerating in last-mile logistics – face the twin challenges of fewer charging stations and a shortage of trained EV mechanics. On a larger scale, India’s infrastructure programmes, from highways to freight corridors and port connectivity, are cutting transit times. Together, these factors make uptime the core measure of logistics efficiency.
The New Currency
Focusing on uptime does not diminish the environmental or energy-saving benefits of EVs. It simply shifts the conversation to what businesses value most: dependable performance. Whether it is perishable produce that must reach markets before dawn, or just-in-time inventory moving into urban retail outlets, uptime has become the currency of trust and profitability.
India’s logistics costs are now estimated at around 9–10% of GDP, down from earlier estimates of 13–14%. The next leap in competitiveness will depend not only on how much fuel or energy a vehicle saves, but on how consistently it can keep running. With growing adoption, electric commercial vehicles—supported by reliable charging networks, digital tools, capable service ecosystems, and forward-looking financial models – are well placed to anchor this shift.
Saju Nair is CEO of TIVOLT Electric Vehicles Pvt Ltd. (Montra Electric’s SCV division) Views expressed are the author's personal.