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Our card makes it easy to recharge your electric car at any charging station in Europe.
How do I use a public recharging point?
In addition to home recharging, frequent use of public recharging points is usually for occasional or longer trips.
In the first instance, a public charging point is a charging station installed in streets and administered by municipalities, communes or regional/departmental energy associations.
In addition, 2 fundamental conditions must be met in order to have access to a charging solution:
- Having a car and a compatible with the charging charging station,
- Possess a recharge card or a means of payment (QR code, credit card, pay-as-you-go, etc.).
Regarding payment for the use of your charging station, our article on the new QR code scam for charging stations may be of interest to you.
Once all these conditions have been met, here are the 3 steps to charging your electric car:
- step 1 choose your charging capacity
- step 2 charging your vehicle
- step 3 stop charging
See also : How to recharge your electric car"and "Charging your electric vehicle: everything you need to know".
To locate a charging station, we recommend using a charging solution location application such as Chargemap or Roole Map.
The price of a charge at a public charging station
Naturally, the cost of recharging at a public charging station can vary from free to a charge, often limited to a few euros. What's more, the price depends on several key factors :
- The recharge card you have,
- The time at which you recharge,
- The type of recharge (normal, accelerated or fast) you choose,
- Charging station capacity,
- The service provider,
- Interoperability fees for charging on a network without compulsory subscription.
As a guide, here are the rates charged by 4 of the most recent major operators in France:
- Ionity :
- approximately €0.39 per kWh for 50 kW terminals
- approximately €0.69 per kWh for 350 kW terminals
- Total :
- around €0.52 per kWh for terminals up to 50 kW
- approximately €0.62 per kWh for terminals above 50 kW
- Izivia
- around €0.38 per kWh for terminals up to 50 kW
- Allego :
- 0.60 per kWh on charging stations up to 22 kWh
- 0.69 € on other terminals
However, it is difficult to give a precise tariff, as tariff variations can vary by up to 800% on a single charge point.. It should be noted that each operator draws up its own tariff schedule, influenced by several parameters such as :
- cost per kWh,
- parking rates,
- the operator's fixed costs,
- charges billed per minute.
For more information, see our article on the price of electric car charging stations may be of interest.
Rising electricity prices as early as February 2024
However, it is important to point out that electricity prices will rise from February 1ᵉʳ, 2024..
The French Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, has made the decision official, while assuring that the commitment not to exceed a increase of 10%.. He specified that this would apply to "97% of French households".
On average basic rates increase increase of 8.6%.while for off-peak/peak ratesrates, the increase will be 9,8 %. Naturally, owners of electric cars equipped with a home charging station will also feel the impact of this increase, as the majority of charging takes place there.
Worth noting The price of recharging your electric vehicle is still more affordable than for internal combustion vehicles.
The best charging networks for electric cars
Chargemap, a major player in the electric vehicle charging sector, recently unveiled its 2023 ranking of the best-performing charging networks in France and Europe.
The following rankings have been formulated based on ratings provided by users of Chargemap users between April and December 2023, totalling :
- about 400,000 notices in Europe,
- participation of 112,000 users,
- based on a minimum of 1,000 notes for a single network,
- taking into account 3 distinct criteria.
Read more: Charging stations: what's the current state of deployment?
The best charging networks according to user experience
Having detailed Chargemap's approach, let's look at the results, starting with the top 10 charging networks offering the best user experience in France.
At the top of the list is the Dutch Fastned fast-charging network, followed by the Tesla Superchargers and the French Electra network.
You may also be interested in our video test of Tesla superchargers:
The rankings remain unchanged when we consider infrastructure performance and reliability, encompassing the ratio of power delivered to power expected, the condition of the terminal, ease of use, and so on. Fastned is also honored for these criteria.
The best charging networks for value for money
In terms of value for money, the hierarchy takes a peculiar turn. Orleans Métropole takes first place, followed by NW IECharge and Lidl on the podium, representing three players focused on attractive prices.
The best charging networks in terms of infrastructure reliability
Fastned maintains its pre-eminent position in France, being the public's preferred choice. Powerdot, a fast-charging supplier, has now joined the ranking, illustrating its strategy of vigorous growth in the country.
Conclusion
In these 3 rankings, the three essential elements to remember are as follows:
- In 2023, the Fastned network distinguished itself by obtaining the highest rating for the overall recharging experience in France.
- Orléans Métropole has positioned itself as a leader offering the best quality/price ratio in France and throughout Europe.
- The award for reliability also goes to the Fastned network.
Chargemap is grateful to all these networks for helping to improve the quality of charging for drivers. The rise of the electric car in France is attracting more and more players seeking to stand out from the crowd. Their position in the ranking is a well-deserved recognition of their efforts.
Continue to follow our articles by Beev to stay on top of this exciting energy revolution.
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