EV Push Continues To Gather Pace With NITI Aayog Shoonya Campaign

India’s foremost planning body the NITI Aayog, has added over 70 corporate partners from e-commerce, ride-hailing, logistics and manufacturing ecosystems for its Shoonya campaign. A NITI Aayog, RMI and RMI India initiative to promote zero-pollution mobility across the nation, the campaign aims to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) for deliveries and rides through a corporate branding program and EV awareness drive.

As part of the awareness drive, the Shoonya coalition launched an ad campaign on January 25, 2022, to highlight the air quality, environmental and cost benefits of EVs. The brand film is available on all digital-led platforms. Conceptualized by Edelman India and RMI, the new ad film uses the analogy of the number Shoonya (Zero) to draw parallels between Aryabhatta’s gift to the world of mathematics and the ‘Shoonya’ initiative, which aims to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles.

In addition to the consumer awareness drive, the Shoonya campaign also incorporates a corporate branding program, through which deliveries, rides, associated vehicles, and infrastructure are branded with the Shoonya logo. The branding program has 72 corporate partners including leading e-commerce companies, ride-hailing companies, vehicle manufacturers, fleet aggregators, and charging infrastructure providers. The Shoonya website will soon host a resource toolkit that will guide potential EV customers with impact of their EVs and provides information required to procure electric vehicles, including a cost comparison calculator, India’s policy map and list of financing options.

Sharing the idea behind the campaign, Randheer Singh, Director of Electric Mobility, NITI Aayog, said, “We are thrilled to announce the release of the Shoonya ad campaign. Our goal through this initiative is to promote awareness around the environmental, health, and economic benefits of electric vehicles. With this campaign, we are confident that corporates as well as consumers will rise to the challenge of pollution and take necessary steps to eliminate emissions from urban freight and passenger mobility.”

Commenting on the ad campaign launch, Clay Stranger, Managing Director, RMI, said, “Rapid adoption of clean energy technologies will unlock a host of benefits in India. We are pleased to work with NITI Aayog on the Shoonya campaign that encourages each of us to do our part to eliminate pollution from urban mobility solutions. If all of India’s rides and deliveries are served by zero pollution Shoonya vehicles, it will avoid 1.2 Giga tons of carbon dioxide emissions, 230 kilo tons of particulate matter, and INR 60 lakh crore of fuel over the lifetime of vehicles sold until 2035.”

Akshima Ghate, Senior Principal, RMI India, said, “Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions and thus contribute towards reducing air pollution in our cities. The Shoonya initiative seeks to eliminate air pollution from commercial transporation in India and build demand for zero-emission vehicles. This campaign will enable notable reduction in emissions from the transport sector and accelerate country’s progress towards it’s net zero goal.”

List of Shoonya corporate partners: Altigreen, Amazon, Areon Mobility, Ashnni Motors, Battwheelz, bigbasket, Bikozee, BluSmart Mobility, Blue Dart, Bounce, ChargeGrid, Crayon Motors, DOT, E-Savari, eBikeGo, eee-Taxi, EFill, Eicher, ETO Motors, E-Trio, Euler Motors, EVage, EVCFinder, evet, Evify, EVRE, Exa Mobility, Go Bykes, Grip Invest, Hero Electric, Hero Lectro, Howddy, Insta bikes, Jeev Mobility, Kinetic Green, Lectrix, Lightning Logistics, LoadExx, Log9, Magenta, Mahindra Electric, Metro Ride, Micelio, MoEVing, Mooving, Nunam, Orient ecom EV, Park+, Piaggio, Pulse Energy, Renew Power, ShadowFax, Sheru, Shigan Evoltz, Singham, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV), SMV Green Solutions, Spock, Sun Mobility, Swiggy , Tata Motors, Three Wheels United, Uber, Va-Yu, Volt Up, WilderMart, Yelo, Yulu, Zomato, Zuink, Zyngo, Zypp Electric