Groupe Malherbe adds 11 electric trucks from Volvo to fleet

Groupe Malherbe is receiving nine new FH Electric tractor units and two FL Electric trucks. The tractor units with the Aero package and a 4×2 axle configuration are equipped with the current maximum battery configuration of 540 kWh and have an output of 490 kW. The two FL Electric are also two-axle vehicles and offer 376 kWh battery capacity and 165 kW power.

According to a French media report, the vehicles will be used in part to supply parts for the Volvo plant in Blainville-sur-Orne in Normandy. Volvo is therefore also talking about a new step in its ambitious project to electrify 100 per cent of the supply of parts to the factory there. Some of the new XXL electric trucks will also be used to transport goods for a large food manufacturer between Normandy and Brittany. In both cases, the electric lorries will be operated during the day and charged at night.

According to Volvo, the procurement was preceded by several trial phases from 2023, during which various goods flows in Normandy and Brittany were tested under real-life conditions. All of the electric vehicles that have now been added to the fleet were provided via Volvo Financial Services Rental. Autorecharge, one of Volvo Trucks’ listed partners in this area, was also responsible for installing the chargers at seven of the customer’s sites.

Laurent d’Arnal, Sales Director of Volvo Trucks France, commented on the handover: “We are particularly proud to accompany the Malherbe Group, a long-standing customer of Volvo Trucks, in this decisive step towards the electrification of its fleet. The very first electric AERO tractor unit in France was contracted by Malherbe in July 2024. This major order is the result of a long-standing partnership based on trust, performance and shared values around sustainability.”

“We are all driven by the goal of satisfying our customers by offering a sustainable, viable and virtuous alternative with maximum visibility,” said the Managing Directors of the Malherbe Group, Alain and Noël Samson. “Something is undoubtedly happening here and now […] We are at a crossroads. It is a major development […] that is currently taking place in the commercial haulage sector: Our profession is changing, the image of the truck is evolving and needs to be modernised. We have chosen to be one of the players and to start this change with our long-standing manufacturer Volvo by taking our customer partners on this exciting adventure.”

Founded in 1953, the Malherbe Group claims to have a fleet of 2,300 vehicles, making it one of the largest logistics providers in France. It is particularly active in the food industry, wholesale, the energy sector, civil engineering and the pharmaceutical industry.

jdlgroupe.com, volvotrucks.fr (in French)