The world’s largest electric-powered truck undergoing tests with Carrefour

From the beginning of 2012, it will start a one-year assignment during which it will be supplying eight Carrefour stores in the centre of Lyon and surrounding conurbation. Using this silent truck will mean that deliveries to town centre stores can be made early in the morning (between 5 AM and 7 AM) to respect the peace and quiet of local residents. The all-electric refrigerated truck will then travel to the Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu logistics platform so that it can make a delivery to the Carrefour Planet store at Vénissieux in the early afternoon. Altogether, it will cover a distance of 75 km.

This vehicle has been specially designed to keep pace with the changes currently taking place in major metropolitan distribution networks. It offers unparalleled acoustic comfort for drivers and local residents. Non-polluting, emitting absolutely no CO2 and totally silent, this truck can carry 5.5 t of goods. It has an operating range of 100 km and can be fully recharged in only 8 hours. As a result, the vehicle has all the qualities needed for it to blend into its urban environment. This unique solution is the result of close collaboration between Renault Trucks, PVI and IFP Energies nouvelles. It was developed as part of the Melodys project, receiving financial support from the ADEME demonstrator fund. The purpose of this experiment is to test technologies which could be subsequently incorporated into production vehicles under actual operating conditions.