High-Power Charging Network Expansion for Heavy-Duty Freight Corridors

ABB E-mobility and Oreve are collaborating to deploy a modular high-power charging network designed for heavy-duty electric freight vehicles. The initiative focuses on installing high-capacity charging infrastructure along established logistics corridors to support the electrification of commercial truck fleets in France.

Participating Companies and Operational Challenges
The collaboration addresses the infrastructure requirements for heavy-duty electric mobility by combining Oreve’s site operation capabilities with ABB E-mobility’s hardware and asset management platforms. Electrifying commercial freight requires scalable infrastructure capable of delivering continuous high-current power without necessitating recurrent grid rebuilds. To meet these technical demands, the companies are expanding their existing three-year deployment, which previously established six operational sites, into a corridor-scale network capable of supporting increased vehicle throughput.

Technical Solution and System Architecture
ABB E-mobility supplies the charging hardware, cloud-based asset management software, and remote monitoring services, while Oreve manages site deployment and overall network operation. The network utilizes two primary hardware configurations: the A400 all-in-one chargers and the M-Series modular split system. The A400 units dynamically distribute 400 kW of power across two charging points. Both systems incorporate liquid-cooled cables to manage thermal loads during extended charging sessions. This cooling mechanism sustains higher continuous currents, allowing up to 600 A on the A400 units and up to 800 A on the M-Series dispensers, while reducing cable weight for operator handling.

Deployment Phases and Infrastructure Scalability
The expansion phase adds 12 new sites and approximately 100 charging points to the Oreve network, targeting 18 MW of total installed capacity by the end of 2028. Initial site deployments utilize the A400 chargers. Starting in early 2027, the rollout will integrate the M-Series modular power cabinets. This split-system architecture allows a single site to scale from a baseline of 400 kW up to a 1.2 MW hub. Operators can expand capacity to support up to 24 dispensers by adding power modules, bypassing the need to replace the underlying electrical infrastructure.

Target Applications and Standards Integration
The infrastructure targets the heavy-duty logistics sector, providing charging nodes at major logistics hubs such as Lyon and the Valence-Grenoble axis. To accommodate evolving vehicle battery requirements, the hardware supports the Combined Charging System standard and provides a technical upgrade path to the Megawatt Charging System. The first installation utilizing the Megawatt Charging System is scheduled for 2027. This phased hardware deployment aligns with broader national infrastructure targets, which anticipate the installation of 1.6 GW of dedicated truck charging capacity across French motorways to ensure process stability and reliable range extension for commercial fleets.

Edited by Aishwarya Mambet, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.

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