What do new E-truck localization conditions mean for the industry?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.On 29 April, the Centre issued guidelines requiring electric truck makers to localize components such as battery management systems and vehicle control units to qualify for incentives under the PM E-Drive scheme. E-truck makers must use domestically produced components from September 2026.The government had eased rules during the 2025 rare-earth magnet shortage by extending deadlines for importing related subassemblies without forfeiting incentives.
Mint explains the rationale behind the policy directive.Trucks account for a small (3%) share of India's total vehicles but contribute about a third of the country's road sector greenhouse gas emissions, making the shift towards electric trucking important.The challenge, however, is the green premium, or greenium, that consumers have to pay for electric vehicles. While the price gap between petrol and electric two-wheelers has almost reached parity in India, according to a December 2025 report by consultancy firm KPMG, the gap in segments such as buses and trucks remains significant.The price of an electric truck may be 2-2.5 times that of its diesel counterpart, according to an August 2025 report by the government's think tank NITI Aayog.These factors prompted the Centre to start incentivizing e-trucks under the ₹10,900-crore PM E-Drive scheme with a ₹500 crore allocation for about 5,600 trucks.The localization rules under the PM E-Drive scheme dictate which components can be imported and for how long.
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