GEODIS orders 110 electric trucks, aiming for 190 by 2027
GEODIS is buying 110 electric trucks of 44 tonnes for delivery by 2027. Its electric fleet will reach 190 vehicles, with charging points every 250 to 500 km.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
GEODIS orders 110 electric trucks with charging every 250 kilometres
GEODIS, the French transport and logistics giant, has announced the purchase of 110 electric trucks of 44 tonnes for its road freight operations in Europe. The vehicles, developed by Renault Trucks and Volvo Trucks, will be delivered in May 2027 and will be used on French routes, both urban and long-distance. With this order, the company's electric fleet for its European network will reach 190 vehicles.
To support that fleet, GEODIS plans electric corridors on the main French routes with charging points every 250 to 500 kilometres. The current network, of around sixty points, will have to grow to more than 200 by 2030. The company frames the deal within its decarbonisation strategy validated by the Science Based Target initiative, according to Marc Vollet, managing director of GEODIS's European Road Network.
3% of the fleet and the fine print on range
The announcement has landed in a context where the electrification of heavy transport is still more of an expensive experiment than an operational reality. According to a calculation circulating among industry professionals, a fleet of 110 units out of a total of 3,000 to 3,600 owned vehicles would represent less than 3%, enough to meet green quotas and claim tax deductions, but not enough to move the needle on the sector's real emissions.
Range is the other open front. Some argue that today's electric trucks offer between 300 and 450 kilometres with a loaded trailer, forcing constant recharging and 700 kW chargers so that stops don't drag on. A case cited by hauliers from Córdoba illustrates the problem: a Algeciras-Seville run that a diesel covers in two hours takes an electric truck five, because it needs to recharge before arriving. The response from the other side is that mandatory rest breaks already exist and just need to coincide with charging, though the Guardia Civil (Spanish police force) may have something to say about that coincidence.
How many chargers for trailers are there in Spain?
Infrastructure is the bottleneck nobody disputes. According to a query cited in the discussion, Spain has only 24 chargers in locations suitable for trailers. With that network, a long-haul electric truck struggles to justify its purchase except for local distribution. GEODIS itself admits it needs to more than triple its charging points within five years, and that's in France alone.
Battery costs add another layer of doubt. There is talk of battery packs weighing between 2 and 5 tonnes integrated into the chassis, with a replacement price nobody dares put in writing. Add to that the risk of theft: if diesel used to be stolen, batteries are now the target, a black market that has yet to be organised.
Autonomous driving as the next chapter
The conversation soon turned to the next technological leap: autonomous driving. The most optimistic view holds that a freight transport operation able to run practically 24 hours a day would transform logistics, and that jobs would not disappear but shift from driving to supervising. The objection is blunt: if the driver still has to be on board to hand over paperwork, open doors, swap trailers and deal with incidents, no company will pay for an autonomous truck on top of the salary.
The legal framework doesn't help either. A driver cannot set the tachograph to rest mode while the vehicle is moving, even in team driving, and the fine can be around 3,000 euros. Civil liability in the event of an accident remains unclear: according to insurance sources, it would fall on the manufacturer and the technology supplier, a maze no company wants to enter. Trains, the most sceptical point out, still carry a driver.
Oil is running out, but not tomorrow
The final argument of those backing the change is the depletion of oil. Peak oil, they argue, is closer than it seems and it pays to be prepared. The counter is that synthetic fuels could cover that transition without rebuilding the entire infrastructure. Meanwhile, reality is stubborn: the electric trucks on the road today shuttle back and forth between Córdoba and Espiel and recharge before climbing Cerro Muriano, just in case.
How much does the charging network have to change for an electric trailer to cross Spain without a scare?
GEODIS, the French transport and logistics giant, has announced the purchase of 110 electric trucks of 44 tonnes for its road freight operations in Europe. The vehicles, developed by Renault Trucks and Volvo Trucks, will be delivered in May 2027 and will be used on French routes, both urban and long-distance. With this order, the company's electric fleet for its European network will reach 190 vehicles.
To support that fleet, GEODIS plans electric corridors on the main French routes with charging points every 250 to 500 kilometres. The current network, of around sixty points, will have to grow to more than 200 by 2030. The company frames the deal within its decarbonisation strategy validated by the Science Based Target initiative, according to Marc Vollet, managing director of GEODIS's European Road Network.
3% of the fleet and the fine print on range
The announcement has landed in a context where the electrification of heavy transport is still more of an expensive experiment than an operational reality. According to a calculation circulating among industry professionals, a fleet of 110 units out of a total of 3,000 to 3,600 owned vehicles would represent less than 3%, enough to meet green quotas and claim tax deductions, but not enough to move the needle on the sector's real emissions.
Range is the other open front. Some argue that today's electric trucks offer between 300 and 450 kilometres with a loaded trailer, forcing constant recharging and 700 kW chargers so that stops don't drag on. A case cited by hauliers from Córdoba illustrates the problem: a Algeciras-Seville run that a diesel covers in two hours takes an electric truck five, because it needs to recharge before arriving. The response from the other side is that mandatory rest breaks already exist and just need to coincide with charging, though the Guardia Civil (Spanish police force) may have something to say about that coincidence.
How many chargers for trailers are there in Spain?
Infrastructure is the bottleneck nobody disputes. According to a query cited in the discussion, Spain has only 24 chargers in locations suitable for trailers. With that network, a long-haul electric truck struggles to justify its purchase except for local distribution. GEODIS itself admits it needs to more than triple its charging points within five years, and that's in France alone.
Battery costs add another layer of doubt. There is talk of battery packs weighing between 2 and 5 tonnes integrated into the chassis, with a replacement price nobody dares put in writing. Add to that the risk of theft: if diesel used to be stolen, batteries are now the target, a black market that has yet to be organised.
Autonomous driving as the next chapter
The conversation soon turned to the next technological leap: autonomous driving. The most optimistic view holds that a freight transport operation able to run practically 24 hours a day would transform logistics, and that jobs would not disappear but shift from driving to supervising. The objection is blunt: if the driver still has to be on board to hand over paperwork, open doors, swap trailers and deal with incidents, no company will pay for an autonomous truck on top of the salary.
The legal framework doesn't help either. A driver cannot set the tachograph to rest mode while the vehicle is moving, even in team driving, and the fine can be around 3,000 euros. Civil liability in the event of an accident remains unclear: according to insurance sources, it would fall on the manufacturer and the technology supplier, a maze no company wants to enter. Trains, the most sceptical point out, still carry a driver.
Oil is running out, but not tomorrow
The final argument of those backing the change is the depletion of oil. Peak oil, they argue, is closer than it seems and it pays to be prepared. The counter is that synthetic fuels could cover that transition without rebuilding the entire infrastructure. Meanwhile, reality is stubborn: the electric trucks on the road today shuttle back and forth between Córdoba and Espiel and recharge before climbing Cerro Muriano, just in case.
How much does the charging network have to change for an electric trailer to cross Spain without a scare?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (68 replies).
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