Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, a leading cement manufacturer, in collaboration with Delhi-based SwitchLabs Automobiles Pvt Ltd and Energy In Motion Ltd, has announced the deployment of 24 heavy-duty electric trucks for transportation of bulk raw materials from Karaikal Port to its manufacturing units in Dalmiapuram and Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu.
The electric fleet will transport petcoke, slag and gypsum, replacing conventional diesel-powered freight operations on the corridor. Each truck is expected to travel approximately 12,000 km per month, taking the combined annual fleet utilisation to nearly 2.9 million km.
As part of the collaboration, Dalmia Cement and SwitchLabs have also developed an innovative trailer-swap operating model enabled by separate tractor and trailer registration, designed to improve utilisation and reduce idle time for electric trucks.
Under this model, an electric tractor can interchange trailers rather than remaining idle during loading and unloading activities.
Based on the project’s expected operating profile and an assumed electricity mix of approximately 70 per cent renewable energy and 30 per cent grid electricity, the electric fleet is estimated to avoid approximately 3,735 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, on a life-cycle emissions basis. This is equivalent to the annual carbon absorption of approximately 1.7 lakh mature trees, a release said.
Published on September 28, 2026
