Renault Trucks, together with transport operator Malherbe, has launched a fully electric logistics corridor linking its industrial sites in France. The route ties Blainville-sur-Orne, Bourg-en-Bresse and Lyon, and is set up to move cabs, engines and axles on a just-in-time basis—right when assembly needs them.

Deliveries are handled almost entirely by 22 Renault Trucks E-Tech T tractor units. They run in two looped patterns, a northern and a southern ring, with daily ranges of up to 810 km and 704 km, respectively. To keep the flow uninterrupted, the companies use a relay system that swaps tractors and drivers, so cargo keeps rolling without a halt. In practice, the setup feels less like a trial and more like a rolling production line on public roads.

Battery charging takes place at intermediate stops while drivers rest. To make that work, Malherbe has invested in its own charging network along the corridor. The operation is tuned so that vehicles are in use for as much as 18 hours a day, while drivers stay based close to home—a practical answer to the usual utilization and scheduling hurdles facing electric freight.

According to Renault Trucks, the switch to electric on this corridor cuts CO2 emissions by 2,869 tonnes annually. The project signals that electric trucks are ready for longer-distance assignments and scalable industrial logistics—exactly the kind of real-world application the sector needs as it shifts toward lower-carbon vehicles.