“MegaWatt systems for ultra fast charging of the electric tractor units”

Wherever you are on your decarbonisation journey, it is vital to be having these forwardthinking conversations. And because the world is evolving and changing at pace, it is worth looking further ahead as to what size of provision you need especially around the delivery capacity of the infrastructure you are considering. Not that long ago a 50kWh charger was considered fast. Today 150kwh, 350kwh are considered the expected norm in the HGV sector and looking beyond this to the large MegaWatt systems for ultra fast charging of the electric tractor units.

For some operations, such as trunking, public charging will have to step up to the plate. Currently here in the UK there are very few public charging points designed for a 26 tonne three axle rigid let alone a 4x2 artic combination. Businesses like GridServe are already upgrading their new facilities to make provision for HGVs but the sector still has a long way to go and certainly Government incentivisation is key in helping the decarbonisation of freight transport.

Leading the way, in 2022, a number of truck OEMs, including Volvo Group of which Renault Trucks is part, agreed as part of a joint venture to install and operate at least 1,700 high-performance green energy charge points on, and close to, highways as well as at logistics hubs across Europe. The parties are committing to invest EUR500 million in total, which is assumed to be by far the largest charging infrastructure investment in the European heavy-duty truck industry to date. As Volvo Group President and CEO Martin Lundstedt stated, “This is a long-awaited and major step towards achieving the required charging infrastructure for the roll-out and success of battery-electric long-haul trucks and coaches. We are making what would be impossible for one actor alone to accomplish - this strong partnership is a significant milestone and accelerator towards carbon neutral transport in Europe by 2050.” It is through a strong collaborative team of likeminded organisations that such advances can be made.

And proving that it can already be done, one of our Swiss dealers recently ran two electric Renault Trucks vehicles (a 3.5 tonne E-Tech Master and a 26 tonne E-Tech D Wide 6x2) from Switzerland across Germany, all the way up through Norway and into the Arctic Circle in bitter, inhospitable conditions. Why? Well, to prove that not only can these vehicles operate in harsh winter conditions, but also that across Europe, in places like Norway, using public charging for trucks can power such an epic adventure. We need our Government to recognise and support this here in the UK.

A clean and emission free future is coming, ready or not. Today you can already order electric commercial vehicles from a small van through to a 44 tonne electric truck from manufacturers like Renault Trucks. The hardware is here, that’s a fact. But here’s the burning question, is your strategy and operation also ready to take advantage and move forward?