At first glance, it is an ordinary building parking lot. Cement, neon lights, closed boxes. The attentive eye may notice a discreet white cable cover, which runs over the entire length of the doors. What this shell contains is one of the largest French installations of condominium electric charging stations, signed Enedis. “This installation in the form of a horizontal column will eventually allow the connection of 250 individual boxes in order to be able to install electric charging stations”, specifies Elise Cabrol, regional director of Lyon Métropole for Enedis.
More than a kilometer of cables
With this column, the public electricity distribution network travels through the common areas to the meters. At the owner’s request, a simple connection can connect the box concerned to the network. A technical innovation that Enedis has been developing with this Val d’Ecully complex for two years, although the idea was born five years earlier.
The approach was visionary, because “two years ago, we did not know how to do this type of work,” admits Thibault Deschamps, head of the Engineering-Columns Agency. “It has been a long journey, we have pulled over a kilometer of cables in this structure, which is innovative from this point of view, and exceptional for its size: six car parks, 250 boxes, among which 70 individual branches are installed. and operational ”.
Growing private demand
All of the owners had to be convinced to partially finance this operation. Not easy for those in the minority who do not own an electric vehicle or do not intend to acquire one. Consultations have convinced the recalcitrant, especially since the presence of this installation can enhance their property in the event of a sale. And if two subscriptions remain necessary, the owners keep the choice of their energy supplier. Enedis is considering simplified customer processes to enable the deployment of these co-ownership infrastructures, at local and national level.
Demand is indeed high and is set to increase, since in 2035, 15 million electric vehicles are expected to circulate on French roads. Switching to electric is still hesitant because of the high price of cars, but also the difficulty of recharging them at home. “Enedis is working today to prepare the electric mobility of tomorrow,” continues Elise Cabrol. We are convinced that it is one of the levers to meet the challenges of the development of EPZs [zones à faibles émissions], in Lyon but also in other agglomerations. And since most people in metropolitan France live in co-ownership, we must be able to install these infrastructures, by supporting local communities, social landlords and trustees. “