Where to find electric car charging points in France?

Question

I am considering benefiting from the current green bonuses and buying an electric car. How easy is it to find charging stations? G.T.

Read more: the electric car that does not need licence to be sold in France

Answer

First, you should look into options for installing a charging point at home for short ordinary journeys, bearing in mind that the average autonomy is now around 300km on a full charge. There is currently financial aid available in France towards funding this.

Read more: Macron promises up to €12,000 to buy eco cars

However, if you need a recharge when you are on the road, charging points are becoming more and more accessible. They can be found, for example:

• In some public car parks, often free of charge;
• In privately-run car parks, at a rate of around €0.20-0.30/hour plus the parking ticket;
• In charging stations run by electric car- sharing schemes in certain large cities, costing around €1-€3/hour;
• At motorway service stations. These often have high-speed charging points, allowing you to recover about 120km of autonomy in half an hour for around €0.10-€0.20/minute. An electric Renault Zoé can therefore be fully recharged in around an hour and half for around €15;
• Often free of charge at hypermarkets and other large stores, such as Auchan, Leclerc, Ikea, Lidl, though availability can be limited.

You can find a non-exhaustive map of charging points at tinyurl.com/y8jt7rlh.

Read more: the environmental news to know about this month in France