Heavy Duty Vehicles are responsible for 27% of transport-related CO2 emissions, even though they account for only 1.3% of vehicles on the road in France. In response to this challenge, ENGIE Vianeo and APRR, France’s second-largest motorway network, are announcing the deployment of 5 very high-power recharging stations dedicated to electric heavy goods vehicles and long-distance coaches. This initiative is a first in France and marks an important step in the development of electric mobility and the decarbonisation of means of transport.
A major asset for reducing the carbon footprint of heavy goods transport
Located on the Paris-Lyon route, the proposed stations will be equipped when they open with a 400 to 500 kW charging point with two ultra-fast recharging points, enabling two electric trucks or coaches to be recharged simultaneously. A back-up charging point will also be available at each station to guarantee continuity of service in all circumstances, which is crucial for transport operators.
The very high-power recharging available at the stations will enable electric trucks to cover the entire route between Paris and Lyon, in both directions, with an average of one station every 150 km, with stops at Melun, Auxerre and Beaune. The network will provide the flexibility and reliability that are essential for hauliers whose fleets are currently made up of trucks with an average range of 300 km, which is constantly increasing. This new service will give a major advantage to transport companies that run regular rotations on this route, enabling them to reduce their carbon footprint by switching to 100% electric.
“Today, trucks are available and operating costs are increasingly favourable to electric over diesel, even for large tonnages. The only thing holding hauliers back from making the switch is the assurance that they will find enough charging points with the right power to be able to charge quickly and minimise the impact on the organisation of their rounds. It’s our role to set up these infrastructures to speed up the transition”.
Didier LIAUTAUD, Managing Director ENGIE Vianeo France
“Since December 2022, APRR-AREA have been the first motorway networks to be 100% equipped with electric charging stations for light vehicles. We are proud today to be contributing, alongside ENGIE, to the decarbonisation of all forms of mobility, with the installation of the first electric charging stations in France dedicated to heavy goods vehicles and long-distance coaches. We are speeding up the introduction of high-performance technologies on our networks to enable everyone to travel electric with peace of mind. This is another step towards a low-carbon motorway”.
Guillaume Hérent, Managing Director, APRR-AREA
Deployment of these charging stations is scheduled for summer 2024. With this project, ENGIE, through its subsidiary ENGIE Solutions, and APRR are making a commitment to help reduce CO2 emissions from road transport and encourage the transition to more environmentally-friendly mobility, while guaranteeing a high level of service to hauliers.
Download the press release.
