Kerala is preparing to develop the 622-km stretch of National Highway 66 from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram as India’s first electric truck corridor, marking a major step towards cleaner and more sustainable freight transport.
A study conducted by the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) in collaboration with the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has assessed the charging infrastructure and electricity capacity that would be required to support the gradual shift from diesel-powered heavy vehicles to electric trucks.
The study estimates that an initial charging network with a capacity of 12.5 MW would be required along the corridor, involving an estimated investment of ₹19 crore. The findings were released at the India Clean Transport Summit 2026 in Delhi.
The proposed project will involve more than simply installing charging stations. According to KSEB, the electricity distribution network will also need to be strengthened and upgraded to handle the additional demand expected from battery-powered heavy vehicles.
The study is considered the first of its kind for an Indian freight corridor to examine in detail the number and types of chargers required, while also identifying suitable locations for their installation based on actual freight movement patterns.
Researchers analysed FASTag data from four toll plazas along NH 66, national-level truck deployment data, GPS information from 13,355 trucks and 3,39,692 parking records. The data helped researchers understand truck movements, travel patterns and typical stopping locations along the corridor.
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According to the study, the immediate charging requirement along NH 66 is estimated at 12.5 MW. However, as the number of electric trucks increases, the infrastructure requirement is expected to rise significantly. By 2050, the corridor could require around 1,939 chargers with a combined capacity of 204.5 MW.
The investment required for the charging network could also increase to approximately ₹338 crore by 2050.
Electricity consumption for charging is projected to rise from 32 MWh per day in 2030 to 833 MWh per day by 2050 — a 26-fold increase. Despite this substantial growth, the study estimates that the additional electricity demand would still account for less than 0.2% of Kerala’s projected annual electricity consumption.
Kochi, Kozhikode and Kollam are expected to emerge as major charging hubs along the corridor. Among the identified stretches, the Thiruvangad-Kumbalam section could have one of the highest requirements, potentially needing 76.4 MW of charging capacity by 2050.
The financial requirement for developing the charging network is expected to be met through existing central and state allocations. The project could potentially make use of the ₹2,000 crore earmarked by the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries for public charging infrastructure under the PM E-DRIVE scheme.
Kerala could also utilise the ₹63.12 crore already sanctioned for establishing a charging network in the state.
Speaking at the release of the study, KSEB Director Rajan M P said the project could demonstrate how freight transport can be electrified while ensuring that the electricity grid is adequately prepared for the transition.
“By building India’s first electric truck corridor on NH 66, a state power utility is demonstrating how the electrification of freight transport can be made practical and grid-ready,” he said.
Rajan added that KSEB would strengthen its distribution systems in line with the expected growth in demand as battery-powered electric trucks become increasingly common along the corridor.
The study also stressed the importance of planning the charging network well ahead of the large-scale adoption of electric trucks. Since charging infrastructure and associated power-system upgrades can take years to plan, approve and construct, waiting until electric trucks become widespread could leave the infrastructure unable to keep pace with demand.
Harsimran Kaur, a researcher at ICCT, said Kerala should begin preparing for the transition before electric trucks become widespread.
“Since it takes years to plan and build charging infrastructure, it would be too late if Kerala waited until electric trucks became widespread,” she said.
The corridor-based approach could therefore provide a roadmap for infrastructure planning as India’s freight sector gradually moves away from diesel-powered vehicles.
If implemented as planned, the NH 66 project could become a model for other states, demonstrating how electricity systems, charging infrastructure and freight transport networks can be planned together to support the transition to electric heavy vehicles.
For Kerala, the proposed corridor represents not only a move towards cleaner freight transport, but also an effort to prepare its power infrastructure today for the growing electric mobility demand of tomorrow.
