French multi-technical services provider SPIE is expanding its electric vehicle charging infrastructure in France with a new focus on heavy-duty transport, as it prepares to deploy seven high-power charging (HPC) stations for electric trucks along key motorway routes.
The stations will be installed at service areas operated by Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône (APRR), targeting logistics corridors used by long-distance haulage companies. The initiative is designed to align charging operations with mandatory driver rest periods, enabling electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to gain up to 300 kilometres of range during short breaks, SPIE said.
“The transportation of goods by road is entering an electrification phase similar to that seen with light vehicles. Technological advances around the range offered by batteries and charging times, as well as the network of charging stations, are paving the way for long-distance haulage using electric vehicles,” said Marie-Pierre Maccario, Head of the e-Vadea Project at SPIE CityNetworks. “With e-Vadea Truck, SPIE CityNetworks is putting its experience and skills to good use in offering a turnkey solution to hauliers and contributing to the adoption of electric heavy goods vehicles on key motorway routes, thereby taking a decisive step towards the decarbonisation of the transport sector.”
The planned sites include service stations at Dijon Brognon on the A31, Besançon Champoux and Besançon Marchaux on the A36, Sandaucourt les Rappes on the A31, Bourg Teyssonge on the A40, and Chien Blanc on the A6. Each location will be equipped with at least four charging points delivering a minimum output of 400 kW.
APRR said the rollout builds on its earlier efforts to electrify motorway infrastructure. “A pioneer in this area, APRR-AREA is the first motorway network to have its service stops fully equipped with electric charging stations for light vehicles. This partnership with SPIE CityNetworks strengthens the existing charging network for heavy goods vehicles, already in operation since 2023 between Paris and Lyon, with seven additional stations,” said Guillaume Hérent, Managing Director of APRR-AREA. “This partnership is accelerating the installation of high-performance technologies across the network to give everyone peace of mind when planning long journeys. It is another step towards a decarbonised motorway.”
SPIE said the charging infrastructure is designed to be future-ready, with the capability to scale up to 1.2 megawatts and support the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) standard as it becomes commercially available. The project is financed by the FLASH investment platform.
In parallel, SPIE plans to launch a dedicated e-Vadea Truck mobile application to support drivers with navigation, station access and reservation of charging points. The app will feature a multilingual interface and aims to help drivers better coordinate charging sessions with legally required rest times.
The charging network expansion follows earlier deployments by e-Vadea, a joint initiative between SPIE Group and the Ecological Transport Modernisation Fund managed by Demeter. The operator commissioned its first motorway charging hubs in France in 2022 and 2023 after securing a tender from APRR, with additional sites later added in cooperation with Vinci. Further urban charging hubs are expected to open from 2025.