The question is on the minds of an increasing number of motorists as the number of electric cars sold in France increases. While this type of vehicle reached 300,000 sales last year, owners of electric and even hybrid models are dreading the summer holiday period, often synonymous with busy roads and therefore queues at charging stations.
However, industry experts say that France is already sufficiently equipped with infrastructure to meet demand. “Today, we have around 140,000 charging points spread across the country,” says Avere France CEO Clément Molizon. “On the other hand, we have 1.8 million hybrid electric and rechargeable vehicles, which perfectly corresponds to the needs expressed today.”
“Charging stations along motorways are designed for junctions and peak hours in summer and winter.”
An average of one charging station per service station
The specialist journalist Benjamín Cuq, who was invited to the BFMTV programme, also believes that the offer is currently able to satisfy the demand: “There are 8,000 terminals available on the motorways. If we compare this with the number of service stations, it is more or less the same. Today, service stations are obliged to equip all their infrastructures with charging stations, so the fear of breakdowns is no excuse.
Above all, remember that an increasing number of installations allow faster charging: “The terminals deliver up to 350 kW for very high-end Korean and German models. In addition, modern electric cars launched two years ago consume up to 150 kW.”
“A full tank takes a maximum of 20 minutes from 0 to 80% because the car is programmed to slow down the charge to preserve the battery and avoid traffic jams at the terminal.”
Some service stations, such as Totalenergies or Shell, can be equipped with, for example, fifteen fast-charging stations.
Less efficient terminals outside the highway perimeter
However, disparities persist across the country. The president of the French Federation of Electric Vehicle Users, Pascal Hureau, thus evokes a “network that corresponds to the density of the population”.
“In areas where there is a high population density, things move a little faster than in really rural areas, where there is still work to be done.”
An observation shared by Benjamin Cuq: “If you come off the motorway, unless you come across supermarket chains like Lidl, which are setting up a huge infrastructure, you will come across terminals that deliver a maximum of 22 kW and your car can generally not travel more than 11 kW, so you will have four hours of charging.”
Source: BFM TV
