More than 1.5 million on the road by June 2025: electric cars are increasingly used for long holiday trips

In June 2025, France had more than 1.5 million electric vehicles on the road. A figure higher than 26% compared to the previous year, according to a press release from the Ministry of Transport published this Tuesday, October 21. “More and more of these users are choosing electric vehicles for their summer trips,” he adds.

“This trend demonstrates the growing confidence of users in their ability to easily and quickly recharge their vehicle, even during medium or long trips,” underlines the ministry, which notes a 71% increase in the use of charging stations in July and August 2025 compared to the previous summer.

“In the service areas of the motorway network, the terminals are especially in demand, with an average of 200 (charging) sessions per month for each,” according to the summer report prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Avere-France, the national association for the development of electric mobility.

3,200 charging points on highways

All service areas of the concessioned motorways have been equipped with electric charging infrastructure since the summer of 2023, thanks to “the financial mobilization of the State and the European Commission.”

The highway network thus has 3,200 very high-power charging points, with a terminal availability rate of more than 98.5% this summer, according to the press release. “As a result, no major saturation phenomenon was observed” during the holidays.

Charging times range between 28 and 30 minutes, “a duration equivalent to the average number of stops observed in service areas” and, furthermore, a time “perfectly compatible with road safety recommendations, which recommend a break every two hours.”

Therefore, the switch to electric vehicles only changes “very little” the travel habits of drivers who already respect these instructions, the ministry adds.

The Ministry of Transport thus tries to respond to reluctance regarding the use of electric cars for long trips: fear of not finding charging stations and charging duration.

Although the proportion of electric cars in the vehicle fleet is increasing, purchases are, however, lower than expected, in particular due to the higher price of these cars compared to thermal vehicles.