Here we are finally. According to the National Association for the Development of Electric Mobility (Avere), we should pass the milestone of 100,000 charging stations for electric vehicles open to the public next week. Between May 2 and 5.
This is not quite what the government hoped for, which had set this objective for the end of 2021. But here we are. And if there is still a lot to do to expand this network, a crucial issue to support the development of electric vehicles, “the error would be to believe that France is behind on the subject”, estimates Clément Molizon, delegate General of Avere France. He responds to 20 minutes.
How to explain that we are only now reaching, in May 2023, this milestone of 100,000 terminals?
It was set as part of the strategic contract for the automotive sector signed in 2018, between the State and the players concerned. But at the time, this objective of 100,000 terminals was set for the end of 2022. In October 2020, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, then Minister of Transport, advanced it by one year.
On the one hand, this new ambition has made it possible to remove a certain number of blockages and to put everyone around the table to go faster. And it worked. In 2021, there was a marked acceleration in the deployment of these charging stations. But in October 2020, we were only at 33,000 charging points. Multiplying this figure by three in twelve months was an unattainable goal.
This was the perverse effect of this heightened ambition: it gave many the impression that France was lagging behind and that it was perhaps even too early to convert to electric. In the end, we are only four short months behind the initial objective.
Are we behind compared to other European countries?
No way. We are in the top three, neck and neck with Germany, which we have just overtaken at the last count. However, this country has more electric vehicles in circulation. The first of the class remains the Netherlands, with 115,000 charging points in service last month. But this country has a limited territory, and the current rate at which we are deploying the terminals in France means that we should certainly exceed them this year, or next year.
How fast is the network rolling out in France?
Since the beginning of the year, we have exceeded 4,000 installations per month, compared to 2,000 last year. And especially against 4,000 per year before the Covid-19 pandemic. The pace has accelerated considerably.
2020 was a turning point in this area: manufacturers began to expand their electric vehicle offers and multiply announcements on the complete electrification of their ranges in the decade. Regulations were added, up to that adopted at the end of March by the EU, on the end of sale of new thermal vehicles after 2035.
Inevitably, all these signals have pushed charging players to speed up as well.
Is it only the number of terminals that counts?
No, you also have to look at where they are installed, what charging power they offer, if they often break down… In other words: do they meet the current needs of electric vehicle owners? The question is not simple and requires detailed analyzes territory by territory.
All the same, on a national scale, the distribution of these 100,000 terminals is generally good. The powers offered correspond to the ratio that we imagine, at Avere, for 2030. That is 80% normal charging stations, supplemented by 10% fast* and 10% ultra-fast**. A major effort has just been made, particularly in motorway rest areas. As of December 31, 2022, 80% were equipped with fast and ultra-fast charging points. We will be at 90% by this summer, and 100% in September.
Admittedly, the motorway companies had an obligation to do so, theoretically even before January 1, 2023, so there is a bit of a delay. But the site was complex and this obligation was only registered at the beginning of 2021. Doing it in two and a half years is already very good.
What are the remaining areas for improvement?
The quality of existing charging points needs to be improved, as some are regularly out of service. Of the 100,000, the availability rate is around 86%. The situation is less catastrophic than some suggest, but this percentage should be improved by at least ten points.
There are also a whole host of services and equipment to be invented to facilitate the use of these terminals. One can imagine, for example, equipping the most isolated with benches or gazebos where one can shelter while one’s car is charging.
Of course, we must continue to expand this network. There are still white areas, rural areas in particular. We also expect to see more and more of the arrival on the roads of trucks powered, at least in part, by electric batteries. The war in Ukraine and the gas supply difficulties are causing manufacturers and carriers to turn to this solution. It will then also be necessary to offer these heavy goods vehicles suitable charging points. Few of the terminals in service are sized to accommodate them. This is a big challenge that many players are currently working on.
Now that the milestone of 100,000 terminals open to the public has been reached, what are the objectives?
At Avere, it is estimated that between 330,000 and 480,000 charging points should be open to the public in 2030, by which time there could be between 5 and 7 million electric vehicles. [sans compter donc les hybrides rechargeables]. At the Paris Motor Show last October, Emmanuel Macron had expressed the wish that 400,000 terminals be installed by the end of the decade. So we’re pretty connected.