France has launched its first dedicated electric truck charging corridor, stretching from Paris to Lyon, in a joint initiative by motorway operator APRR and Engie subsidiary Vianeo. The corridor includes five service stations along the route, where trucks can charge using ultra-fast chargers of up to 480 kW.
The stations are spaced approximately every 150 kilometers, with charging points located at key service areas on the A5b and A6 motorways, including near Melun, Auxerre, and Beaune. The Galande service station, located closest to Paris, features both a 400 kW Alpitronics charger and a 480 kW EVBox charger. While it remains unclear if the same setup is available at all locations, each station is equipped with a CCS charger offering between 400 and 480 kW, with a reserve charger available to maintain operational reliability.
In addition to the newly installed stations, the project will expand further, with eleven more charging sites planned by 2025. The expansion aims to cover other motorway networks and logistics hubs, with the ultimate goal of creating a reliable national network for freight carriers. Future plans include megawatt charging (MCS), though details on its rollout have yet to be confirmed.
“Today, trucks are available, and operating costs are increasingly favourable to electric over diesel, even for large tonnages,” said Didier Liautaud, General Director of Engie Vianeo France. “The only thing holding hauliers back from making the switch is the assurance that they will find enough charging points with the right power to be able to charge quickly.”
The APRR-Vianeo collaboration is aimed at addressing this concern by providing infrastructure that supports long-haul electric trucks. Guillaume Hérent, Director General of APRR-AREA, emphasized the significance of the initiative, noting, “We are proud today to be contributing, alongside Engie, to the decarbonisation of all forms of mobility, with the installation of the first electric charging stations in France dedicated to heavy goods vehicles.”
