EV Charging for Quick Commerce Fleets in India: Scaling Sustainable Delivery 

A recent report noted that quick commerce now accounts for two-thirds of all e-grocery orders, with market size projected to rise from USD 3.65 billion to over USD 6 billion by 2025-2026, up fivefold since 2022).

The sector already serves roughly 20 million customers annually across 400+ cities. Tech-enabled ‘dark stores’ and micro-fulfillment centers, small neighborhood warehouses, underpin this model, enabling orders to be picked and dispatched at lightning speed.

As Q-commerce has boomed, it has become a critical part of the broader e-retail ecosystem. It not only drives consumer expectations around instant delivery but also employs large gig fleets of delivery partners, often hundreds per dark store. 

In Gurgaon, Blinkit reports that 80% of its last-mile fleet is already electric, while Instamart (Swiggy) aims for a 100% EV fleet by 2030. This surge in vehicles and deliveries highlights the challenge of sustainable last-mile logistics, setting the stage for electrification. 

Why Electrify Quick Commerce Fleets? 

Electrification of delivery fleets, especially two- and three-wheelers, offers multiple benefits that align with India’s needs and policies.

First and foremost is pollution and climate impact. Road transport is a major source of urban air pollution and carbon emissions. Commercial delivery vehicles typically travel 5–6 times more (daily) than a personal vehicle, multiplying their carbon footprint. Transitioning to EVs can drastically cut tailpipe emissions (and noise) in congested city centers. Faster, scaled EV adoption is essential if India is to meet its carbon goals and clean air targets. 

Cost efficiency is another driver. EVs cost more upfront but have far lower operating costs. Fleet operators report running electric two-wheelers at just ₹1.5–2 per km versus about ₹4 per km for petrol vehicles. Electricity is more stable than fuel prices and can be offset with solar. Factoring in lower maintenance and energy costs, EVs can save 40–60% per kilometer compared to ICE vehicles. Under commercial high-usage models, payback periods can be as short as two years. 

Policy mandates and incentives also push quick commerce fleets toward EVs. India has set ambitious EV targets (net-zero by 2070) and offers subsidies under the PM E-Drive scheme (₹10,900 crore in 2024) specifically targeting EV adoption in commercial fleets and charging infrastructure. States like Delhi have even mandated 100% electrification of delivery fleets by 2025.  Companies such as Flipkart and Zomato pledged to have fully electric fleets by 2030. In short, electrification aligns with growing sustainability demands from regulators, brands, and customers alike.

Unique Charging Demands of  Quick  Commerce

Quick commerce delivery imposes special requirements on EV charging. Orders must go out almost instantly, with vehicles often running 15–20 hours per day. This leaves little downtime for charging. Unlike taxis or commute vehicles that recharge overnight, quick commerce riders need fast charging or battery swaps between rushes.

Key demands include:

Speed and turnaround: A delivery scooter may only have 20–30 minutes for recharge during a lull. Fast charging (20 minutes for approximately 50 km range) or quick battery swaps are essential. Traditional 4–6 hour full recharges are not feasible in this model. 

Density: At a busy dark store, dozens of vehicles may need to charge during peak hours. Charging hubs must serve many EVs daily without queues. For example, EMO Energy estimates that a single 6kW fast charger can serve approximately 15–20 two-wheelers per day, matching the quick commerce pace. 

Peak-demand management: Lunch or dinner surges dozens of deliveries at once. Charging facilities must scale for these bursts without overloading substations. Some companies are already incorporating on-demand energy management. AI-driven systems like EMO’s NEXO balance solar and grid power across chargers. There’s also emphasis on integrating charging with logistics; for instance, some fleets charge EVs on the spot while riders pick up orders.

Infrastructure Challenges 

Building this infrastructure in dense Indian cities faces hurdles:

• Urban micro-hubs and space: Q-commerce thrives on local micro-hubs like dark stores, but they are small, and fitting chargers or swap bays is difficult. Traditional swap stations need 30–40% more space than equivalent fast-charging hubs. Moreover, many leases don’t accommodate large charging equipment. Some companies are choosing warehouse locations with EV infrastructure in mind, but overall, real estate for chargers remains scarce. 

• Grid reliability and load management: India’s electric grid can be unreliable, and many neighborhoods lack spare capacity. Charging dozens of vehicles simultaneously can strain local transformers. This raises concerns over brownouts or equipment failure. Fleets often add battery storage to buffer peaks. Future systems may use vehicle-to-grid (V2G) strategies or time-of-use tariffs to shift load, but inconsistent grid quality remains a concern. 

• Lack of standardization: Two- and three-wheeler EVs lack a universal charging standard in India. This means swap stations and chargers must stock multiple battery types or adapters, often requiring approximately 1.5 batteries per vehicle to avoid shortages. Fast chargers are simpler (many E2Ws use standard 230V AC plugs with Bharat-standard connectors), but their 3–6 kW output limits charging speed. Industry groups are working on unified standards like Bharat DC001 for E2Ws, but widespread adoption is pending. 

• Regulatory and utility barriers: Incentives largely target public car chargers; only a few incentives directly address private fleet charging or battery-as-a-service (BaaS) models. Additionally, utilities and local governments must streamline approvals for high-power electrical installations, which are currently slow. 

These challenges mean that quick commerce companies and infrastructure providers must creatively adapt traditional charging models to fit the new context. 

Adapting Last-Mile Logistics 

Traditional delivery models are being retooled for EVs and fast logistics. Major quick commerce firms and e-commerce companies have rolled out EV programs and new infrastructure models: 

• Fleet electrification plans: Flipkart (including BigBasket) has pledged 100% EVs in last-mile delivery by 2030. Blinkit alone had approximately 50,000 EV delivery partners by March 2025 and aims for 100% EV deliveries by 2030. Amazon India fielded over 10,000 EVs across 500+ cities by 2024. These large players are investing in EV-capable two- and three-wheelers (e.g., Ampere, Hero, and Ather models) and, in some cases, even long-range electric trucks for heavier loads. 

• Charging deployment: Flipkart has installed chargers at approximately 2,900 last-mile hubs nationwide. Swiggy and Blinkit are outfitting high-volume dark stores with chargers or partnering with EMO and Kazam. In many cases, quick commerce platforms subsidize charging for their rider networks, offering “pay-per-use” charging or leasing models, bundling energy in gig worker payouts. 

• Battery leasing & BaaS: Riders lease EVs and batteries through providers like Yulu, Zypp, and Chartered Bikes, including insurance and maintenance. Platforms incentivize riders by offering more favorable pay rates for EV usage or by partnering with BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) firms, which handle the charging/swapping logistics. 

• Micro-hub design: Some Q-commerce companies are co-locating EV charging with product storage. New dark-store designs include dedicated charging bays. Zepto’s hubs in Gurugram reportedly have multiple swap/charge stations.  BigBasket has collaborated with Kazam and Zypp to electrify its fleet, with Flipkart setting up charging infrastructure at chosen hubs. 

Charging Models: Traditional vs. Quick Commerce 

To illustrate the differences, consider how a typical charging model compares to one tailored for quick commerce (especially two-wheelers): 

This comparison shows why quick commerce operations favor on-site fast charging and swapping models. By co-locating chargers at order hubs, companies minimize downtime and maximize delivery capacity.