The electrification of heavy mobility, a key challenge in decarbonising road transport

The IAA Transportation 2024 in Hanover, Germany, will once again highlight the latest innovations in mobility and transportation.

On this occasion, ENGIE Vianeo will be present to underline the importance of a massive transition to electromobility for heavy-duty vehicles, in line with the meteoric development of charging for light electric vehicles.

Find out more about the challenges of E-truck charging s with Clémence Fischer, Managing Director of ENGIE Vianeo

Why is there an urgent need to speed up the transition of heavy duty vehicles to electric mobility, and what are the obstacles?

While the electric car is now firmly established in the mobility landscape, the transition of heavy-duty vehicles to electric power is still an emerging trend. It should be remembered, however, that heavy mobility alone is responsible for almost 40% of transport-related CO2 emissions : facilitating the transition of heavy vehicles is therefore crucial to meeting the challenge of decarbonizing transport.

However, there is still a fear among motorists about the range of electric vehicles, which takes on a different dimension when it comes to hauliers on long journeys. In the market for electric E-truck charging, we have to deal with the constraints of freight transport and the specific regulations to which drivers are subject.

In this segment, the economic stakes are higher, and journeys need to be particularly optimized. The charging offer has to be adapted to the sector’s needs: certain timeframes have to be respected, and charging times have to coincide with drivers’ compulsory breaks (i.e. 45 minutes), etc. The technical barrier to E-truck charging has been overcome, but there is still a psychological barrier to overcome to reassure users.

What is the current situation regarding heavy duty vehicles roaming charging?
 

As heavy goods vehicles are by definition much more energy-hungry than light vehicles, the challenge of electrifying them is both qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative, because it requires very high-power charging station networks; quantitative, because it means multiplying the number of charging points and ensuring maximum station availability. At present, ENGIE Vianeo is a pioneer in the field of on-road electric charging infrastructures for heavy goods vehicles, both on major roads and in logistics zones and certain metropolitan areas.

With our 100% charging corridor dedicated to electric trucks, we have created the first network of its kind in France, comprising 5 stations between Lyon and Paris on APRR freeway service areas, enabling two E-trucks to be recharged simultaneously. The special feature of this network is the charging power of up to 480 kW, a world first on freeways.

The aim now is to replicate this corridor on other motorway networks, as well as in logistics zones, to offer hauliers a reliable national network with ultra-fast charging at a frequency suited to their itineraries.

In addition to charging stations, ENGIE Vianeo is also supporting the transition of heavy goods vehicle fleets with additional tools, enabling drivers to locate stations on the page dedicated to heavy mobility on our website.

A system for reserving charging slots will also soon enable them to avoid waiting at the charging station as much as possible. The construction of multi-energy stations to meet the needs of today’s transport fleets gives them access to several green energy vectors, and also encourages the transition.

How is heavy duty mobility perceived now that combustion-powered vehicles are at risk of being banned?

The threat applies to both light and heavy vehicles ! Since April 2024, the European Commission has been pushing for legislation that includes very ambitious decarbonization targets : emissions from heavy-duty vehicles sold from 2030 onwards should be reduced by at least 45% compared with 2019, then by 65% in 2035 and 90% in 2040.

As a result, heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers are gradually switching to electric vehicles, making it all the more necessary to step up the construction of charging infrastructures. In addition, the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) came into force on April 13, 2024, imposing a general objective of territorial coverage with charging points for both light and heavy vehicles.

It calls for the installation of charging stations suitable for heavy vehicles on main roads from 2028, and on secondary roads from 2031.

In France, financial support is available in the form of a subsidy of up to €100,000 for the purchase of an E-truck (HGV, bus, coach). The installation of charging stations can also be subsidized.

At European level, EU member states are granting a 50% reduction in road tolls for electric trucks. Freeway service areas have already been massively equipped with fast charging points for light vehicles, since the obligation came into force on January 1, 2023, and will therefore also gradually be equipped with E-truck charging points.

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