CEVA Logistics, ENGIE and Sanef, partners in the European Clean Transport Network (ECTN) Alliance, inaugurated today the first motorway relay station at the Sommesous service area (A26) to decarbonize long-distance road freight transport. The deployment of electric trucks in the ECTN pilot project between Avignon and Lille accelerates the decarbonization of road transport.
The ECTN Alliance’s concept comes from three major French groups—CEVA Logistics, energy company ENGIE and motorway operator Sanef—whose combined expertise provide a concrete response to the urgent need of decarbonizing road transport. The entire concept is based on reimagining the way goods are transported via long-distance trucking, rather than relying solely on technological innovation.
Road segments, relay station terminal inspired by pony express mail relay stations
The ECTN concept is inspired by the same model leveraged by the historic pony express mail system, with relay stations for low-carbon, heavy goods vehicles directly located near the motorway network. Upon arrival at the relay station, drivers drop their trailers, which are then hooked up to a truck making the next segment’s journey. Electric trucks are recharged at the stations during the trailer transfer process.
With this model, truck drivers no longer need to travel long distances and can make daily round-trip routes on defined road segments. Since November 2023, the terminal network concept has been tested on a 900-kilometer corridor between Avignon and Lille in France. This corridor is divided into four motorway segments and includes five relay stations in Avignon (Vaucluse), Lyon (Rhône), Dijon (Côte-d’Or), Sommesous (Marne) and Lille (Nord). Because of its simplicity, the system can be quickly deployed and easily replicated across the country.
Deploying electric trucks to accelerate decarbonization
Among the numerous ways to decarbonize road transport, switching to electric vehicles remains a priority. Electric vehicles are the obvious alternative for heavy goods vehicles, as described in the ADEME’s [3] 2050 transition scenarios. Using electric trucks on motorway segments of approximately 300 kilometers makes it possible to circumvent operational range constraints. The ECTN model allows for the maximized use of the trucks and their charging infrastructure, with the annual mileage travelled by the trucks nearly double compared to diesel trucks.
The ECTN concept is validated after rigorous project testing
After sixteen months of testing the ECTN project in real conditions — with low-carbon heavy goods vehicles traveling over one million kilometers— the initial results prove the ECTN solution has numerous advantages.
- In terms of decarbonization, GHG emissions have been cut by 4x on the motorway section between Lille and Avignon. The primary loop between two relay stations allows for a single low-carbon truck to replace two traditional diesel trucks.
- Freight transit time is optimized. The standard transit time between Avignon and Lille is 23 hours and it has been reduced to 17 hours, which represents a 25% reduction in travel time.
- The principle of fixed daily round trip routes of only a few hundred kilometers with regular schedules improves the working conditions of truck drivers and contributes to the attractiveness of the truck driving profession—something important given current widespread driver shortages.
- Finally, with the installation of relay stations at existing service areas frequented by heavy goods vehicles, ECTN does not require additional land needs.
Deployment on a European scale
The ECTN solution can be quickly deployed and easily expanded, opening the prospect for deployment on a European scale (as indicated by the feasibility study carried out with Carbone 4). The results of this study validate the environmental, economic and social interest of the ECTN model as a true decarbonization accelerator in long-distance road transport.
The study highlights that a European network of 190 terminals on or near motorways would result in a charging station network spanning every 300 kilometers. The project would accelerate the transition from diesel to electric vehicles and significantly contribute to the GHG emission reduction targets set by the European Union.
A co-construction approach and the necessary support from the public authorities
While the ECTN concept is part of a co-construction approach with stakeholders (carriers, charging operators, energy companies, motorway concessionaires, truck drivers, truck manufacturers), its deployment on a larger scale will involve the electrification of vehicle fleets, as well as the deployment of charging infrastructure on major roadways. The financing and construction of the required relay stations will require the support of public authorities.
Already recognized for its innovative nature and adapted to the challenges of environmental and energy transition, ECTN is the winner of the first call for projects “Ecosystems of electric heavy vehicles aimed at accelerating decarbonization” launched by ADEME and winner of the4th edition of the Propulse program in the « sustainable transport” category of the Transport Innovation Agency.
Olivier Storch, Deputy Managing Director, CEVA Logistics, said, “With urgent environmental challenges and energy transition deadlines, the logistics and transport sector must quickly find ways to reduce its carbon emissions and energy consumption. The positive results from the ECTN testing phase prove its relevance and provide a concrete response, deployable on a larger scale, to quickly and significantly decarbonize long-distance road freight transport. At CEVA, ‘Acting for the Planet’ is one of the fundamental pillars of our CSR strategy, and we are convinced that more sustainable road transport requires innovative initiatives like ECTN.”
“The ECTN concept combines the strengths of complementary players to test and deploy concrete and pragmatic ways to remove the barriers preventing road freight decarbonization. The experience of an energy provider like ENGIE contributes to the acceleration in electrifying road transport, thanks to our positive vision for energy transition and our strong expertise in ultra-fast, on-the-go charging,” said Clémence Fischer, Executive Vice President, Electric Mobility, ENGIE.
“With ECTN, we are proving that it is possible to decarbonize long-distance road freight transport in a simple and efficient way. By capitalizing on existing motorway infrastructure, without mobilizing additional land or needing heavy investments, we are taking concrete action to respond to the climate emergency. 70 percent of trips made by heavy goods vehicles are already made on motorways— this is where decarbonization must accelerate. This pragmatic model, designed to be deployed quickly and efficiently, paves the way for a sustainable energy transition, but requires support from public authorities to go even further.” said Arnaud Quémard, Chief Executive Officer, Sanef.
[1] Greenhouse Gas
[2] Source: Feasibility Study – Carbone 4 – April 2025
[3] ADEME : French Environment and Energy Management Agency.
SOURCE: CEVA Logistics
