According to Electrive, the current range of these short and mid-distance transport haulers is 300 kilometers or so, making them not particularly suitable for hauling large loads over longer distances.

Starting 2026, Renault plans to add another electric truck to its existing offering of battery-electric cargo vehicles, with a range of 600 kilometers of range. The existing vehicles for transporting goods are a couple Renault Trucks E-Tech models, with various capacities and range options, the Renault Master E-Tech, as well as a cargo bike for hauling smaller loads in the city.

One of the main challenges when it comes to improving the range of these vehicles in that the batteries can account for much of the weight of the actual vehicle. Renault Trucks engineers currently use nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA) cells, which weigh in at three tons per pack. The alternative lithium iron phosphate batteries could be twice as heavy, while offering significantly lower energy density, at 130-160 Wh/kg, compared to 322 Wh/kg.

One of the details regarding the upcoming long-distance truck is the fact that it will drop support for the AC charging protocol. Renault is one of the only truck makers out there that uses both AC and DC charging for its vehicles, but with the new model, which could have an 800 kWh battery, the company will switch to CCS and MCS charging, only. These will support speeds in excess of 350 kW and even 1 MW for much quicker top ups.

Christophe Deshayes, Senior Vice President at Renault Trucks Europe, said that "we need to offer a solution for the decarbonization of logistics. We see this as a unique opportunity for Renault Trucks to take a different position in the markets and offer our customers a complete ecosystem to help them decarbonize their business."

This is why the company plans to manufacture only battery and possibly hydrogen-electric heavy haulers by 2040. Renault Trucks currently uses five battery-electric trucks for its internal logistics operations, but the number could go up to seven, if necessary.

Photo source: Renault Trucks