Renault Trucks, transport and logistics company Kuehne+Nagel and P&O Ferries have successfully deployed the first heavy-duty electric truck to carry freight across the English Channel.
The full electric truck completed the journey aboard a P&O Ferries hybrid vessel from Dover to Calais, marking a symbolic moment in decarbonising Britain’s freight transport.
The truck’s journey started in Kuehne+Nagel’s East Midlands Gateway depot, in Derbyshire, UK, with the vehicle completing its journey at its depot in Amiens, France.
After unloading, reloading and recharging, the vehicle then returned to the UK to complete a return journey spanning 682 miles.
The Renault Trucks E-Tech T – a 40-tonne heavy-duty electric truck – crossed the Channel on P&O Ferries’ newest hybrid vessel, P&O Liberté, which produces 40% fewer carbon emissions than conventional ferries on the same route.
A spokesperson for Renault Trucks, said: “This mission demonstrates the operational viability of electric trucks on international routes and showcases their potential for decarbonising freight transport.
“The crossing also proves that ferry transport offers a legally feasible and safe route for electric heavy goods vehicles between the UK and mainland Europe.”
