Open Transportation & Logistics
India, México & Brazil

Laneshift - Electric Freight

Two trucks with 'Separe' logo facing away from each other

The Climate Pledge and C40 Cities, a global network of nearly 100 mayors, collaborated to launch Laneshift, an initiative accelerating the transition to electric freight in some of the world’s fastest-growing markets.

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Road freight is responsible for more CO₂ emissions than air, sea, and rail freight combined. Meanwhile, trucking is expected to surge in emerging economies over the coming years. Laneshift was built on a simple premise: if electric trucks can work in challenging geographies where infrastructure doesn’t yet exist then we can make the case for deploying them anywhere. Through real-world demonstrations, shared charging infrastructure, innovative finance mechanisms, and policy collaborations, Laneshift brings together Climate Pledge signatories, city governments, and financial institutions to move zero-tailpipe-emission freight from ambition to operational reality. Active across India, Brazil, and Mexico, Laneshift proves that public-private collaboration can accelerate the freight transition years ahead of schedule.

India

In India, Laneshift launched a first-of-its-kind electric freight corridor demonstration along the Bengaluru-Chennai highway, deploying heavy-duty e-trucks on commercial routes to prove that electric freight is reliable, fast, and cost-competitive with diesel. The program also drove an electric truck 6,500 kilometers along India's Golden Quadrilateral connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, and demonstrating that electric freight can scale across the country's core logistics network. The real-world data generated from these efforts has debunked industry myths about range and performance, secured long-term contracts with major shippers, and has informed a national framework for scaling EV freight corridors across India.

 

Learn more about Laneshift’s work in India here.

Brazil

In Brazil, Laneshift installed the first public charging hubs for electric freight in Rio de Janeiro and supported the city of Curitiba in launching its first permanent public charging infrastructure through an innovative public-private partnership model. A municipal fleet demonstration in Curitiba showed that electric trucks can meet operational needs with energy to spare and informed city decisions to purchase additional EV trucks. Looking ahead, the e-Dutra project aims to electrify the freight corridor between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, one of Latin America's busiest logistics routes.

 

Learn more about the eDutra program here.

Three people staring at the camera while they charge an electric vehicle

Mexico

In Mexico City, Laneshift and partners opened the country's largest public EV charging hub, bringing together leading companies to test and scale electric freight operations in real-world conditions. The team is also working with Mexico's national development bank (NAFIN) to design the country's first government-backed finance mechanism for EV freight, making electric trucks affordable for the small businesses that make up the majority of Mexico's freight fleet.

 

Learn about Laneshift’s work in Mexico City here.

"To meet climate net-zero emission targets, there is an urgent need to electrify truck fleets. Laneshift is helping to lay the groundwork for the adoption of commercial electric vehicles in Latin America and India by decarbonizing freight transport in cities, resulting in a reduction in carbon emissions, cleaner air and good, green jobs.”

Mark Watts

Executive Direct, C40 Cities

  • 7 participating signatories
  • 6,500 km distance traveled by an electric truck as part of a trial along India’s Golden Quadrilateral
  • 600+ commercial trips completed by electric trucks on the Bengaluru-Chennai corridor

Join this project

Laneshift is calling on original equipment manufacturers, fleet operators, utilities, charging-infrastructure providers, financiers, and technology specialists to supply innovative solutions and join the program.

Sign up for more information

Access PDF of project overview, background, goals, expected results, and information on how to join.

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Spotlight: C40 Cities

A motorcycle driving in traffic in Bengaluru, India

The Climate Pledge and C40 Cities worked together to create Laneshift. C40 is a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities whose mission is to limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable, resilient communities by halving the emissions of its member cities by 2030.

Visit C40 Cities