“I am happy to inform you that Auroville will be giving us 100 acres of land in Puducherry, where we will establish our Sustainability Campus. This complements our existing campuses in Chennai, Thaiyur, and Zanzibar. Our vision aligns with Auroville’s principles and supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the energy sector.” Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said.

At the heart of this new campus, CoEZET will establish a testing and research facility for electric trucks much like IIT Madras’ previous breakthroughs, including Asia’s longest Hyperloop track.

Nodal agency

CoEZET aims to be a nodal agency for policy and strategy in the electric trucking sector.

“Trucks account for 45 per cent of India’s fuel consumption and emissions. Electrifying this sector is not just an environmental necessity—it’s critical for India’s energy security,” Karthik Athmanathan, Professor of Practice, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras, said. CoEZET will advocate for policy interventions and real-world implementation strategies to accelerate this shift, he added.

Athmanathan also explained that electric truck turnaround times are now comparable to diesel trucks, even factoring in charging time. This was previously unclear due to inconsistent tracking and subpar vehicle performance. The breakthrough came when high-quality electric trucks were monitored by a reliable operator, proving their efficiency even on India’s unique highways, which require frequent acceleration and deceleration.

To further strengthen insights into electric trucking, IIT Madras has launched a pilot tracking centre that will gather real-time, actionable data over the next six months. This initiative aims to provide valuable insights for businesses, policymakers, and industry leaders, moving beyond purely academic research.

IIT Madras also introduced several key e-mobility initiatives, including the EV Battery Engineering Lab, Battery Charging Infrastructure Lab, Zero-Emission Truck Safety Initiative, Battery Electric Truck Driving Simulator, and the Electric Commercial Vehicle Analytics Centre.

Additionally, as part of India’s Automotive Mission Plan 2047, IIT Madras is working on establishing the National Centre for E-Mobility (NCEM) at its Puducherry campus.