Nearly 66% of respondents from Mumbai strongly support the latest EV policy of Maharashtra that requires time-bound transition plans from delivery companies and also indicated a strong preference to prioritize purchases from progressive companies which are in line with and make commitments to the state government targets to rapidly decarbonize their fleets. A new consumer survey conducted among 1508 Mumbai consumers by CMSR Consultants and commissioned by the Sustainable Mobility Network with support from Maharashtra partner- Waatavaran, also shows that 83% of all Mumbai respondents attributed last-mile delivery vehicles as one of the reasons for rising air pollution in the cities, with 88.7% affirming a switch to EV vehicles by the delivery companies as important to addressing air pollution issues and mitigating climate change.
‘’The findings of the survey indicate strong support for the policy direction on delivery sector emissions in Maharashtra. Along with the central government Niti Aayog’s Shoonya campaign, which actively looks to decarbonize the last mile delivery sector, delivery companies should come forward to work closely with our government to ensure the rapid transition of their fleets,” said Bhagwan Keshbhat, CEO of Waatavaran.
The survey, primarily conducted offline (96%) through on-ground interviews, also finds that an overwhelming majority of respondents (88%) believe proactive action and transition by one company can encourage other companies and create rapid change in the sector. The companies identified as part of the survey include Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy and Zomato as the most frequently used, with the other companies being grocery/ hyperlocal and logistics companies like Bigbasket, Dunzo, Blinkit/ Grofers, JioMart, MilkBasket, Bluedart, FedEx, Gati.
The respondents nationwide also stressed the need for a socially just transition of their delivery fleets by companies with 38 per cent stressing that companies should either lease or purchase electric vehicles for their delivery partners/workers, 31 per cent of respondents saying companies should provide financial incentives to delivery partners for buying electric vehicles and another 19 per cent stating that support should be provided to the delivery partners to retrofit their existing delivery vehicles.
CMSR Consultants Director Gajendra Rai said that E-commerce, food and grocery/ hyperlocal deliveries are a rapidly growing segment in India. ‘’Tier 1 Cities like Mumbai comprise the core market for most of these delivery companies so our survey of Mumbai consumers is highly indicative of overall consumer perception of the companies and their current use of delivery vehicles,’’ he noted.
According to Climate Group India's Head of Business Initiatives, Atul Mudaliar, "consumers believe that companies can do more by proactively switching over to electric vehicles for delivery." ‘’While prominent companies like Flipkart and Zomato have announced a massive shift to 100% electric vehicles by 2030 in line with EV100, state policies in India have now started introducing mandates. Soon, delivery companies will have no choice but to change. Most brand-conscious businesses will respond to consumer opinion, the only question being when and how soon - the report is categorically clear on what consumers want,’’ he said.
