France bets bigger on EV infrastructure

France is taking significant steps to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and the expansion of charging infrastructure. The French government has allocated an additional €200 million to hasten the deployment of charging terminals, promote EV adoption, and simplify the retrofitting process. This initiative is part of a broader effort to boost the EV market and charging infrastructure in the country.

The Ministry of Transport has reported a fourfold increase in the rollout of public charging points over the last four years. France is now the second best-equipped country in Europe, behind the Netherlands and ahead of Germany, with respect to charging infrastructure.

The additional €200 million will be directed toward various aspects of charging infrastructure, including apartment buildings, on-street public chargers, and charging stations for heavy-duty vehicles. This funding will support the installation of charging stations at apartment buildings, building on the Advenir scheme from 2019, which provided support for condominium charging stations. The tax credit for home charger installation is also set to increase from €300 to €500.

Furthermore, the focus is shifting toward heavy-duty and commercial vehicles, although specific details have not been disclosed. Low-income drivers will see an increase in the EV premium they receive, although the exact amount has not been determined. The general “bonus écologique” of €5,000 for EVs is undergoing revision, with changes expected to take effect next year. These changes will consider the carbon footprint during the production of vehicles and batteries.

In addition to incentives for individuals, there will be tax incentives for companies to retrofit vehicles to electric. Further details regarding these incentives are yet to be disclosed.

Overall, these measures aim to support France’s goal of reaching 13 million EVs on the road, a tenfold increase from the current number. This increase will necessitate a more robust charging infrastructure. However, it’s worth noting that only 10% of existing charging stations in France are fast-charging.

In parallel, the French government has initiated the ‘France 2030’ program, with the goal of installing fast-charging stations. Twelve winners have been announced in the program’s second round, and in the first two years, the government will support 19 projects with €106 million in subsidies and a total investment of €330 million to build 4,400 fast-charging points, with 3,800 of them having a capacity of at least 150 kW.

These initiatives collectively represent a significant effort to boost EV adoption and expand the charging infrastructure in France.