French commercial truck manufacturer and Volvo Group subsidiary Renault Trucks announced on Tuesday that it would make available an all-electric option for each market segment from 2023.
Renault Trucks began series production of its second generation of electric vehicles at its Blainville-sur-Orne plant in March 2020 and is now able to boast a range of all-electric commercial vehicles from 3.1 tonnes to 26 tonnes – consisting of the Renault Trucks D ZE, D Wide ZE, and the Renault Trucks Master ZE. As such, Renault Truck is able to meet the requirements of urban transport, delivery, distribution, and waste collection.
The company is nevertheless looking to further its range of electric trucks so as to meet the needs of all uses – namely, distribution, construction, and long-distance hauling.
Preparations are already underway to market a ZE tractor which the company hopes will meet the needs of regional and inter-regional transport from 2023, as well as an all-electric urban construction vehicle.
Furthering the company’s investments in electric mobility and its efforts to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius, Renault Trucks has committed to gradually electrifying its fleet to become carbon-neutral within 30 years.
This means that, as all trucks have a lifespan of at least 10 years, all trucks manufactured by Renault Trucks by 2040 must run without fossil fuels.
In addition to battery-electric trucks, Renault Trucks is also seeking to expand into offering hydrogen fuel cell trucks, focused mainly on demanding and heavy long-haul operations.
“Electric mobility is the pillar of our strategy and we aim to lead the field,” said Bruno Blin, President of Renault Trucks. “We’re aiming for 35% of our sales to be electric in 2030. By 2040, all our vehicle ranges will be 100% fossil-free.”
Backing Renault Trucks’ plans to transition entirely to electric vehicle models and options are several research and development groups within the company, and the larger Volvo Groups family.
Volvo Group has created a new development unit dedicated to medium-tonnage vehicles, a segment seen as core to the phased introduction of electromobility for trucks.
Additionally, Renault Trucks will seek to capitalise on existing partnerships developed by Volvo Energy, the parent group’s new entity dedicated to the supply, second life, and recycling of batteries, as well as EV charging solutions.
The company will also look to develop battery packs specifically for heavy goods vehicle applications by relying on the strategic alliance formed by Volvo Groups and Samsung SDI, the battery manufacturing subsidiary of South Korean electronics giant Samsung.
To further facilitate the electromobility transition, Renault Trucks will also be supported by its own new Research & Development centre in Lyon, the X-Tech Arena, which will be built by the beginning of 2023 through an investment of €33 million.
Renault Trucks’ plans and electromobility transition is further backed by parent company Volvo Group’s own carbon neutrality plans, which have set the company on a target to become a net-zero emissions company by 2050.
Based on input from the Science Based Targets initiative, Volvo Group has committed to the 1.5 business ambition to achieve net-zero value chain emissions by 2050 at the latest.
Volvo Group has also committed to announce interim targets this year, and the company is continuously aligning their work with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.