The electric corridor linking Avignon to Lille is now fully operational, with the opening of a fifth heavy goods vehicle charging station at the Sommesous motorway service station in the Marne department. This missing link completes a 900-kilometer network designed to revolutionize long-distance road transport in France.
This project relies on an innovative logistics model: electric truck relays every 200 to 300 kilometers. Each station allows one vehicle to drop off its trailer while another, already recharged, takes over. This chain operation overcomes the range limitations of electric trucks while optimizing travel times.
The results are already visible: travel time between Avignon and Lille has been reduced from 23 to 17 hours. Drivers, for their part, benefit from a more stable and humane work schedule. They make short journeys, often close to home, which reduces fatigue and improves their quality of life. The model thus promotes a transition from national transport to a more regional organization.
The trucks used, supplied by Renault Trucks, are operated by FDE Transport. Thanks to continuous use made possible by the relays, their annual mileage is double that of a conventional diesel truck. At the same time, a control tower based in Valenciennes monitors traffic flows, journey times, and energy consumption in real time.
This corridor is just the beginning. The ambition is clear: to extend this model across Europe, with a network of relay stations enabling low-carbon, fast, and reliable freight transport across the continent. A new era is dawning for logistics, where performance rhymes with sustainability.