Working with haulier Malherbe, the manufacturer is running a 100% electric logistics corridor linking its industrial sites in Blainville-sur-Orne, Bourg-en-Bresse and Lyon. The operation supplies assembly lines on a just-in-time basis, transporting cabs, engines and axles between the three locations and replacing almost all diesel movements on these routes.
The corridor is operated with a fleet of 22 Renault Trucks E-Tech T electric tractor units, each equipped with a 540 kWh battery. Eleven vehicles operate on a northern loop between Blainville, Vironvay and Auxerre, while the remaining eleven run a southern loop connecting Auxerre, Mâcon, Bourg-en-Bresse and Lyon.
Map showing the relay-based electric truck operation, charging locations and daily distances covered on the logistics corridor.
Rather than attempting to complete long distances with a single vehicle, the operation is organised around a relay system, with tractor units, drivers and trailers exchanged at predefined points. This allows each electric truck to cover around 810 km per day on the northern loop and 704 km on the southern loop, while loads continue to move without interruption.
According to Renault Trucks, the system has been designed to maximise vehicle utilisation, with trucks operating for up to 18 hours per day, while keeping drivers within a limited radius of their home base.
Charging is integrated into the operation through scheduled driver rest periods at relay locations, removing the need for additional stops. This allows each charging stop to last around 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, aligning with regulated driver breaks and the relay-based operating model.
One of the Renault Trucks E-Tech T electric HGVs used on the Blainville–Bourg-en-Bresse–Lyon logistics corridor.
In practice, charging takes place at a mix of private and public sites. At Vironvay and Mâcon, Malherbe operates its own charging hubs, each equipped with six 250 kW chargers and two 400 kW chargers, with the equipment supplied by Kempower and Autorecharge acting as the charging partner. At Auxerre, the corridor currently relies on a public charging station, although Malherbe plans to deploy its own charging infrastructure in the area in 2026–2027.
The corridor was designed around internal Renault Trucks logistics flows, but both Renault Trucks and Malherbe expect it to be extended to other customers over time.
“With this project, Renault Trucks applies to its own operations the same electric solutions and expertise that it offers to its customers,” the manufacturer said.
