French heavy EV charging to reach 3.5TWh annual demand by 2035

An ongoing study has indicated that roaming charging on the main French roads for long-distance transport could represent an energy demand of up to 3.5TWh per year by 2035.

This is according to a collaborative study between French DSO Enedis, VINCI Autoroutes, TotalEnergies and six European manufacturers, including Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus France, Scania and Iveco.

The study, which evaluates electric charging infrastructures for heavyweight vehicles, aims to identify the needs (in terms of power, charging infrastructure, etc.) on the main French roads, to enable widespread use of electric heavy vehicles over long distances and inform development of the electricity network.

The study’s preliminary findings forecast this 3.5TWh demand, which would also imply a maximum power demand of up to 1.15GW annually during peak periods, states Enedis in a release.

According to the DSO, while this additional energy consumption and power demand is significant, it could be integrated without major difficulty to the network.

Meeting these needs would require the deployment of nearly 10,000 CCS1-type charging points for long breaks and 2,200 MCS2-type fast charging points (HPC) by 2035.

These estimates take into account a “high” scenario, assuming that 30% of heavy vehicles in the fleet will be electric and will account for 25% of long-distance journeys by 2035.

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Accelerating heavy duty electrification

According to Enedis, a key takeaway from the study is the need to accelerate electrification of heavy duty transport; battery-electric heavy goods vehicles are the primary “zero tailpipe emissions” technology chosen by manufacturers to do so in the coming years.

While electric heavy-duty trucks for urban deliveries and regional transportation are already available, long-distance electric heavy-duty truck technologies are expected to enter production by early 2024.

These vehicles will have sufficiently large battery capacities, providing a range of over 430 miles (692km), enabling the transport of goods over long distances with recharges carried out during regulatory breaks.

The rise of electric heavy goods vehicles, states Enedis, will necessitate the massive deployment of suitable charging infrastructure, both at depots and at destinations. For electric heavy goods vehicles traveling long distances, it will be essential to deploy charging points along the main French roadways, particularly on highways, which represent approximately half of the total heavy goods traffic in France.

Accessible electric charging while on the move is a prerequisite for the electrification of heavy goods vehicle fleets covering long distances.

The collaborative study comes as the impact of heavy-duty electric vehicles on network infrastructure has been discussed as a key concern. Readying the grid for its proliferation in the coming years has been a big topic of focus, not only in Europe, but also in the US.

Publication of the final results and insights from the study is planned before the end of 2023.