Renault Trucks and Geodis develop electric trucks for city centres

Truck manufacturer Renault Trucks and transport and logistics company Geodis are combining their industrial, logistical and technical expertise to develop an electric truck for transporting goods in city centres.

Emission regulations, entry restrictions, a variety of mobility types (cargo bikes, bicycles, e-scooters) - urban freight transport is undergoing profound changes and evolving.

In the face of ever-increasing flows of goods, vehicles with a tonnage of more than 3.5 tonnes continue to play a central role in serving cities. Renault Trucks has a complete portfolio of electric vehicles manufactured in France, ranging from 3.5 to 26 tonnes, and has been committed to reducing its environmental footprint in the urban distribution sector for well over a decade. Geodis intends to reduce its CO2 emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and has committed to delivering to 37 major cities CO2-free from 2023.

Renault Trucks and Geodis are now combining their expertise in a new joint project. The aim is to develop an all-new electric 16-tonne truck at a similar cost (TCO / total cost of ownership) to a diesel vehicle, which is a basic prerequisite for the establishment of alternative propulsion systems.

"Given the environmental urgency as well as the growth of e-commerce and the establishment of low emission zones in major French cities, the decarbonisation of transport needs to be accelerated. This is the goal of Geodis and its partnership with Renault Trucks. In terms of sustainable urban logistics, we want to provide quick and concrete answers," says Marie-Christine Lombard, CEO of Geodis.

"The image of the truck has changed, it is now finally perceived as an indispensable means of transport. The Oxygen project, carried out jointly by Renault Trucks and Geodis, aims to develop a truck that blends seamlessly into the urban landscape. This new truck was designed with the driver's working comfort, his safety and that of city dwellers in mind," adds Bruno Blin, President of Renault Trucks.

A truck that blends into the urban landscape
This vehicle, under the project name "Oxygen", is being developed jointly and takes into account all the constraints and uses of urban delivery traffic: no pollution and noise, and an improvement in active and passive safety to better manage the coexistence of all road users.