Electric Heavy-Duty Trucks: Achieving Operational Readiness
Introduction
Long-haul road transport is central to France's National Low Carbon Strategy (SNBC), which aims to achieve carbon neutrality in France by 2050. The SNBC foresees an approximately 30% reduction[1] in road transport emissions over the next five years and the complete decarbonisation of the sector by 2050. Long-haul trucks account for nearly a quarter of the sector's emissions[2], making their transition a key driver.
In January 2025, Carbone 4 published the "What technologies for tomorrow's long-haul trucks?" report, analysing several alternatives for decarbonising long-haul transport. Battery-powered electric vehicles were identified as the most appropriate solution in terms of resource availability, cost and energy efficiency criteria. This was confirmed by a study by the DGE[3] (France's Directorate General for Enterprise) in July 2025 and is in line with the SNBC, which aims to achieve 50%[4] new electric truck registrations from 2030, compared with just 1%[5] in 2024. It is also part of the European framework which requires a 43% reduction in new truck emissions by 2030 and a 90% reduction by 2040.
Such a transformation relies on significant changes throughout the value chain, from manufacturers, carriers, shippers, logistics providers and energy providers to charging infrastructure operators. Each party needs to adapt its practices, whether this involves fleet renewal, route organisation, team training or charging infrastructure design and installation. These changes need to be coordinated to enable large-scale electrification deployment.
Feedback from trailblazers in the field is crucial for assessing operational feasibility and identifying obstacles and conditions for success. The purpose of this study, commissioned by Transport & Environnement and Renault Trucks, is to analyse the concrete measures for rolling out the electrification of long-haul transport through four complementary case studies.
