Renault Trucks gets first homologation in France for electric retrofitted truck

Renault Trucks announced it has obtained France’s first road homologation for an electric retrofitted truck.

The vehicle, a 12-metric-ton Renault Trucks D converted from internal combustion (IC) power to a battery-electric (BE) truck, will be leased for several years through Clovis Grand Paris, Renault Trucks’ leasing partner, to Extime Duty Free Paris, the operator of the Paris airports’ duty-free stores. The truck will be used for frequent shuttle journeys between Extime Duty Free Paris’ warehouses and the airport. With a range of 250 km, it is ideally suited for this purpose.

The Renault Trucks D that was converted to battery-electric (BE) operation. (Photo: Renault Trucks)

Renault Trucks said the vehicle represents a trial run with both environmental and economic benefits, since the acquisition cost of such an electric retrofitted truck is estimated to be up to 15 percent lower than that of a new electric vehicle.

At the end of 2023, Renault Trucks completed the workshop conversion of the truck in collaboration with Novumtech and with financial backing from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe). With this retrofit now road-approved — the first of its kind in France — the truck maker is set to evaluate the economic, environmental and business viability of the process.

To comply with current regulations, Renault Trucks said the transformation of the truck into an electric vehicle required several steps. After completing the mechanical conversion, the Renault Trucks team conducted a series of rigorous tests at UTAC, a Paris-based technical approval body accredited to ISO 17025. These included assessments of electromagnetic compatibility in line with the R100 standard as well as checks on the conformity of the braking system.

Afterward, the company submitted a comprehensive administrative dossier, which included detailed reports of all tests conducted, to the environmental agency, the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes DREAL.

On Nov. 21, 2024, Renault Trucks received the homologation, becoming the first truck manufacturer in France to obtain approval for an electric retrofitted vehicle for road use.

“The use of this vehicle in real operational conditions will enable us validate the economic viability and robustness of the electric retrofit solution,” said Laurent Colpier, vice president of Used Trucks and Urban Logistics at Renault Trucks.