Renault Trucks is carrying out experiments with haulage firm Deret to develop a D electric vehicle with an operating range extender. Offering a total operating range of 400 km, including 60 km in all-electric mode, the 16-ton vehicle will be keeping duty free shops at the Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport supplied using the all-electric mode. It will be able to reduce CO₂ emissions by 30 percent, according to Renault.

“We began our electric truck adventure several years ago,” explained Patrick Maillet, the administrative and sales manager at Deret; “The Renault Trucks D, with its operating range extender, meets both our needs of carrying heavy loads and demanding delivery rounds of 30 to 50 km on the road and 10 to 15 km in all-electric mode. With this vehicle, we can carry out this cycle four to five times in a day without interruption. It is essential for us to have an extensive operating range so that our deliveries are not compromise by having to recharge the batteries or a limited range of operations.”

The energy supervision is carried out by the vehicle’s energy management system, which is controlled by a dedicated computer, developed in partnership with IFP Energies Nouvelles. This, together with an algorithm developed by Renault Trucks, allows the engine to operate under the most optimal options possible, encourages lower CO₂ emissions, and fuel consumption, according to Renault.

Although the vehicle operates in automatic mode by default, the driver can also manually switch from one mode to another and monitor the flow of energy on a dashboard-mounted screen, according to the automaker.