Renault Electric Trucks In 2019

France’s Renault Trucks announced it will launch a range of electric vehicles in 2019. The move follows a decade of testing electric trucks in real-life conditions with its customer-partners. The new all-electric trucks are designed for use in urban and outskirt areas and will be produced at the Renault Trucks plant at Blainville-sur-Orne in Normandy, France.

The company said electromobility is the cornerstone of its strategy for a sustainable urban transport. Renault Trucks, which is owned by Swedish truck maker Volvo Group, said it has been investing heavily in electromobility research and development since 2009, focusing on extensive field testing in partnership with its customers.

Real-world tests on various types of experimental full-electric 12-16 tonne trucks have provided Renault Trucks with vital information on conditions of use, battery behavior, recharging facilities and specific maintenance requirements for electric trucks, the company said.

In addition to these experimental vehicles, a 4.5 tonne electric truck, the Electric Maxity, has been on the market since 2010. “Our commercial experience with the Electric Maxity has enabled us to bring our network up to speed on selling, servicing and repairing electric vehicles,” said François Savoye, who heads Renault Trucks’ energy efficiency strategy.

“Today’s electric vehicles are a competitive solution, which was not the case in 2010,” he added.

In addition to the progress made in understanding customer uses and market requirements, Renault Trucks said it can take advantage of the research and development resources of the Volvo Group, benefit from tried and tested technology and harness synergy between different entities working on all-electric vehicle development such as buses. The company said that thanks to these economies of scale, Renault Trucks is now in a position to market “a cost-effective range of vehicles for its customers in 2019.”

A dedicated assembly line for all-electric trucks is being installed at the plant in Normandy.