Electric cars and the development of recharging solutions: a challenge for the ecological transition

Everything is being done to get you to switch from combustion to electric cars. The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have agreed on the European Climate Act, which sets a legally binding target of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Electric mobility has become a government priority in France, with financial aid, ecological bonuses and tax incentives all in place to encourage the adoption of electric cars. While the number of combustion engine car registrations is at half-mast, the number of new electric cars has jumped by a further 12% to 2022. But a recent survey by the YouGov institute reveals that only 22% of motorists are ready to convert to electric cars.

So how do we keep the momentum going and convince motorists who are still reluctant? In addition to purchase price and range, the availability of recharging points is a barrier to purchase for 37% of French people, according to a survey by Odoxa. The symbolic milestone of 100,000 charging points has just been reached, but the electric car charging network is still inadequate. What's more, the power and compatibility of charging points still complicate access to the service.

With the marketing of combustion-powered cars set to come to an end in 2035, and the prospect of 15 million electric cars on the road by that date, European automakers are massively electrifying their vehicle ranges, and access to public recharging is becoming as crucial as it is urgent.

All the players - automakers, operators and network and service managers - are working hard to accelerate this trend. While each has its own role to play in the ecosystem, they all share a common objective: to develop the virtuous chain of clean mobility.

Who are the new players?

Whether from the energy, oil, construction or automotive sectors, large companies such as EDF, Total, Engie, Vinci, Spie, Ionity, Tesla, Fastned..., manufacturers such as ABB, Madis or Dover, and numerous SMEs such as Ze-Watt, Totem or Driveco are entering the market for electric charging stations.

The aim? To respond to the European Commission's text, which sets binding targets for member states, as well as for charging station operators. It calls for charging stations every 60 km on major roads, and targets 3.5 million charging points by 2030, compared with 260,000 today.

New professions are emerging:

• The CPO (charging station operator), whose role is to install the equipment and operate the charging infrastructure,
• The EMSP (mobility service provider), whose role is to help drivers find charging stations and offer payment solutions.

The range of electric cars.

In a 100% zero-emission Europe, increasing vehicle range to 600 km, or even 800 km, as some European automakers have already announced, is a major technological challenge. Lithium-ion batteries already promise a Paris-Lyon trip without recharging. But for tomorrow, a technological leap forward is needed, and automakers are investing in gigafactories and in securing supplies of rare metals to win the commercial battle.

Territorial coverage of recharging solutions

Even if battery life is set to increase over the coming years, drivers need to be reassured about the range of electric cars.

Whether you use your car for a short journey to work or a long one on vacation, you need to develop the right charging stations in the right places, at the right power. The Avere-France report states that, on average by 2030, studies predict 56% of charging will take place at home, 28% on roads and 16% at work.

A major roll-out plan for the motorway network was launched by decree in 2021, with mandatory access to fast charging at all freeway service areas by January 1, 2023. 100% of service areas on the APRR and AREA networks have been equipped with fast and ultra-fast electric recharging points, i.e. a recharging solution every 30 km. 9 electric recharging infrastructure operators offer tariffs ranging from 0.59 to 0.79 euros/kWh: AVIA, BP, Certas Energy, Esso, Engie, e-Vadea, Spie, Fastned, Ionity, Tesla and Total Energies.

• 4 to 20 ultra-high-power charging points (150 to 350 kW) per station
• 773 fast and ultra-fast charging stations throughout the network
• All types of electric vehicle accepted
• All types of payment methods and connectors available
  Multilingual hotline open 24 hours a day
  All types of socket available:
  • Type 2 socket (jusqu’à 22kW),
  • CHAdeMO socket, up to 100 kW,
  • Combo CCS socket up to 350 KW.

Rates and recharge cards

Pricing is highly diversified, and clarifying rates will be one of the major challenges of the next few years. While the price of home charging remains lower, it may be necessary to recharge your vehicle quickly, especially on long journeys. Rates vary according to location, type of charging station, charging time, from one operator to another, and are applied differently according to the power of the charging station: per kWh, per minute, a combination of the two, or a flat-rate charge.

Choosing the right electric charging card is essential. On the freeway or on the road network, the Fulli Electric Charging Card, with or without subscription, enables you to pay for your electric charging at almost 290,000 charging points in Europe, including 100,000 in France - the largest network in France! You pay for your electric recharges with a single card.