More Retail has just swapped 150 of its 600 mid‑mile delivery vans for Montra’s 3.5‑ton EVIATOR. For commercial fleet operators, seeing a major retailer hit 30% electric already on the road is a concrete sign that EVs can handle the daily grind.
The EVIATOR comes with a 10.3‑foot load deck and can haul up to 1,707 kg of cargo—making it the biggest in its segment. It’s built on a gear‑less architecture that keeps the drivetrain simple, and its battery‑management suite streams real‑time data on charge levels, driver behaviour, and route optimisation, a feature that helps keep running costs low.
In the crowded 3‑tonne EV market, the EVIATOR sits between the Tata Ace EV’s 1,200‑kg payload and the Mahindra e‑SUV’s 1,500 kg capacity. While the Ace EV is lighter and cheaper, the EVIATOR’s larger deck and higher payload give it an edge for supermarkets that need to move bulk goods in one go.
India’s push for a zero‑emission logistics network is tightening, with the government offering tax rebates on electric commercial vehicles and mandating a 30% electric share for mid‑mile fleets by 2028. More Retail’s 1,750‑tonne CO₂ reduction is a tangible return on that policy, and the company’s 22,000 km daily coverage shows the EVIATOR can meet the high‑volume demands of urban supply chains.
The rollout began in Bengaluru on October 1, and More Retail plans to add another 200 EVIATORs by the end of the year, eventually aiming for a fully electric distribution network. Buyers watching the market should keep an eye on Montra’s pricing, battery options, and after‑sales support as the fleet expands.