Image: SPIEThe solution is designed to meet the operational requirements of haulage companies while complying with legal driving and rest time regulations. HGV drivers can use mandatory rest periods to charge their vehicles, enabling them to add around 300 kilometres of range even during short breaks. To develop the concept, SPIE analysed real-world driving patterns and operational frameworks in the haulage sector.“The transportation of goods by road is entering an electrification phase similar to that seen with light vehicles. Technological advances around the range offered by batteries and charging times, as well as the network of charging stations, are paving the way for long-distance haulage using electric vehicles,” said Marie-Pierre Maccario, Head of the e-Vadea Project at SPIE CityNetworks. “With e-Vadea Truck, SPIE CityNetworks is putting its experience and skills to good use in offering a turnkey solution to hauliers and contributing to the adoption of electric heavy goods vehicles on key motorway routes, thereby taking a decisive step towards the decarbonisation of the transport sector.”The seven new truck charging stations will be located at APRR (Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône) service stations. Specifically, the following sites are planned: Dijon Brognon (A31) towards Beaune/Toul and Toul/Beaune, Besançon Champoux (A36), Besançon Marchaux (A36), Sandaucourt les Rappes (A31), Bourg Teyssonge (A40), and Chien Blanc (A6).“A pioneer in this area, APRR-AREA is the first motorway network to have its service stops fully equipped with electric charging stations for light vehicles. This partnership with SPIE CityNetworks strengthens the existing charging network for heavy goods vehicles, already in operation since 2023 between Paris and Lyon, with seven additional stations. This partnership is accelerating the installation of high-performance technologies across the network to give everyone peace of mind when planning long journeys. It is another step towards a decarbonised motorway,” explained Guillaume Hérent, Managing Director of APRR-AREA.All charging stations will offer a minimum output of 400 kW and feature four charging points each. At the same time, SPIE is future-proofing the facilities: they are designed to be upgraded to up to 1.2 MW and will later support the MCS (Megawatt Charging System) standard. The layout of the stations also ensures sufficient space for electric HGVs. The construction of the facilities is being financed by the investment platform FLASH.Additionally, SPIE plans to introduce a dedicated e-Vadea Truck app to simplify the charging process. The app’s multilingual interface will guide drivers to the charging stations and provide secure access to the areas and charging points. Charging points can also be reserved via the app, giving drivers the assurance of an available charging spot and enabling them to optimally coordinate rest and charging times.e-Vadea, a Charging Point Operator founded by the SPIE Group and the Ecological Transport Modernisation Fund managed by Demeter, commissioned eight charging hubs at motorway rest areas in France at the turn of the year 2022/2023 following a tender won in spring 2022 by the motorway operator Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône (APRR). Further charging hubs at rest areas operated by Vinci followed, with the first charging points within cities set to open in 2025.spie.com