Mumbai Consumers Prioritise Sustainability: 99% Urge Last-Mile Delivery Companies to Switch to EVs

As Mumbai and Pune brace for the onset of winters, a period marked with deteriorating air quality, a consumer survey has revealed that 99% of the respondents across both cities recognise the importance of last-mile delivery companies adopting Electric Vehicle (EV) fleets to reduce air pollution and emissions. Further, 70% of the total consumers surveyed are willing to switch to brands with strong emission reduction commitments and action.

Last Mile Delivery refers to the transportation of goods from its distribution hub to the door of the customer. As of 2024, the last mile delivery sector alone is responsible for the emission of 500,000 tonnes of CO2, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

Abhijit Ghorpade, Director, Maharashtra State Climate Action Cell said: "The last mile delivery (LMD) sector has gained importance with the rising popularity of e-commerce. It has not only enhanced consumer convenience, but also contributed to higher emissions. Public policy must be people-centric. The survey report comes at a crucial time, when our landmark EV Policy is slated for revision next year. It highlights how the LMD sector is influenced by consumer preferences. It’s encouraging to see that a significant portion of respondents are willing to switch brands based on the company’s commitment to reducing emissions and compliance with state regulations, a clear call to action for companies in the LMD sector to adapt their fleet operations and embrace more sustainable solutions.”

A total of 760 consumers were surveyed from Mumbai (380) and Pune (380). Meanwhile respondents were surveyed across 10 cities - Delhi (380), Asansol (373) & Kolkata (371) - (West Bengal), Coimbatore (380) and Chennai (372) - (Tamil Nadu), Bangalore (372) and Hubli-Dharwad (374) - (Karnataka) and Gujarat, Ahmedabad (370).

These findings, which are a part of a consumer survey, were released by the Sustainability Mobility Network (SMN), during a webinar on Monday, September 9, which is observed as World EV Day.

Titled ‘Consumer Perceptions & Insights in the Last Mile Delivery Sector for the Transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs)’, the survey was conducted to evaluate the key indicators around Last Mile Delivery companies' fleet transitioning to EVs. It measures public perception of air pollution linked to last mile deliveries and scale of demand for transition to EV by brands involved in deliveries, including - Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Nykaa, Ajio, BigBasket, Jio Mart, Snapdeal, Zepto, DHL/BlueDart, Swiggy Mart, Grofers/Blinkit, DTDC, TataCliq, Deliver, Dunzo, Fedex and Others.

Bhagwan Keshbhat, CEO, Waatavaran Foundation reiterated: “Air quality in Mumbai and pune have been deteriorating rapidly in recent years. The extreme surge in vehicles compounded by the advent of quick commerce, food and e-commerce delivery vehicles are adding to the cities' woes. We need these delivery vehicles to be urgently shifted to Electric Vehicles (EV) to reduce emissions and give our children the clean air they deserve. I hope this report encourages the accelerated EV transition by companies listening to their core consumers.”

Key Highlights from Mumbai

• 99.8% of respondents stated that EV transition of fleets by companies is Very Important to Somewhat Important in reducing air pollution and emissions
• 55% respondents indicated willingness to switch to a company based on their stronger emissions reductions commitments and actions
• 26% respondents have high levels of awareness around air quality in the city
• Mumbai is the city with the lowest number of consumers nationwide saying they had received very effective communication (22.4%) from companies on their air pollution reduction measures.
• 44.7% of consumers have received information and are aware of EV transition plans by companies.
• 19% of respondents have expressed complete trust in company commitments in company commitments and initiatives on EV transition.
• Amazon is most widely used for Last Mile Deliveries at 82% followed by Flipkart 71% followed by Zomato 45%
• 47.9% of the respondents stated that they would prioritise shopping from a company which actively supports its workers in ensuring a just EV transition.