Free charging stations: public parking lots
Let's start with the most obvious: public parking lots. More and more public parking lots are installing charging stations for electric cars. This is largely due to the fact that the French National Assembly has voted to make it compulsory for public parking lots to provide users with charging points by 2021. An amendment specifies that these public parking lots must have at least one recharging point for every twenty spaces.
This is why charging stations are often provided free of charge. All you have to do is plug in, and your car is recharged without having to pay anything! This is especially the case if your local authority promotes ecology and takes action in this direction. Ultimately, it's a way of attracting eco-responsible customers while supporting the ecological transition. This is particularly the case in metropolises such as Paris, Nantes and Bordeaux.
Car manufacturers and dealers
Most automakers have expanded their electric vehicle ranges electric vehicles. So they're offering more and more of them in their dealerships. That's why you'll find free charging stations in dealerships. However, these charging points are only accessible to the automaker's customers.
But some manufacturers offer a different formula. Such is the case of Kia which gives its customers access to a network of 21,000 charging stations in France. This free access is available for the first 12 months following the purchase of an electric vehicle from the South Korean brand.
For owners of a vehicle from the Volkswagenyou're in luck! Your purchase will enable you to recharge your vehicle at one of the charging stations available at dealerships for the group's nine brands. Brands such as Hyundai, BMW, Nissan and Citroën also offer recharging to their customers at one of their dealerships.
Supermarkets and department stores
Many supermarkets and department stores offer their customers free charging stations! They do this mainly to attract new customers, build loyalty and stand out from the competition. Most of these of these chains are also signatories to the 100,000 kiosks objective..
In parallel with this objective, the French government has introduced a number of subsidies for the installation of charging stations for professionals to fill its quotas as quickly as possible. For professionals, there is the ADVENIR and forprivate individuals, there's the tax credit for charging stations.
Numerous groups have joined forces with the French government to accomplish this mission. Among them are several major retailers. These include :
Leclerc
Since 2011, Leclerc been encouraging the use of electric vehicles by installing charging stations charging in supermarket parking lots. According to the group, over 170 centers are now equipped with free charging stations. The company goes even further, equipping its staff with electric vehicles and offering to lease these vehicles to their customers.
Lidl
The German firm has deployed over 1,000 charging points across Europe, more than half of them in France alone! The aim is to enable their customers to recharge their batteries effortlessly while shopping.
Système U
This player in the mass retail and petrol station networks has been busy installing recharging stations. At present, there are over 50 charging points in U store parking lots and charging stations in some of the group's 800 petrol stations.
We've mentioned the groups that are part of this agreement for the 100,000 milestone target, but there are also other companies that are not signatories, but are just as much part of the overall effort.
Other retailers offering free charging stations
Carrefour
In a press release dated March 10, 2021, Carrefour declares that it will become "the first retailer to offer a complete range of charging stations for electric vehicles.". The French retail giant announced that it would deploy more than 2,000 charging points by 2023, thanks to its partnership with Meridiam. Now, the Carrefour Group is revising its ambitions upwards, with the deployment of 5,000 charging points by 2025. Meridiam specializes in the development and financing of public infrastructure projects. The group adds that these charging points will be powered by green energy, so as not to do things by halves.
The offer will range from 22 kW to 350 kW charging stations, with the aim of meeting the needs of all users.
Ikea
As part of the development of its "environmentally friendly and practical" services, Ikea has installed free charging stations for its customers' electric vehicles. Ikea is deploying charging stations providing power ranging from 43 kW to 50 kW in its store parking lots. The company has decided to invest in 7 kWh chargers, enabling maximum charging in one hour. 5% of visitor parking spaces will therefore be equipped with electric charging points by 2025, i.e. around 20 to 50 points per store.
Leroy Merlin
Like Ikea, Leroy Merlin offers its customers free self-service recharging stations in its parking lots. These range from simple 3.7 kW sockets to 22 kW charging points.
Would you like to install a charging station?
Close to train stations and airports
When you're about to travel long distances by train or plane, you may well be traveling by car. Stations and airports have thought of this! You can recharge for free in the parking lot at Orly for example, or at Toulouse Blagnac. As far as train stations are concerned, you can simply recharge at the terminals near the Saint Lazare station in Paris or the Gare Montparnasse.
Hotel and restaurant parking
Although most hotel and restaurant parking lots provide their customers with charging stations for a fee, some may be free of charge. There's nothing better for referrals and customer loyalty. The idea for restaurants is that you can recharge your vehicle while you eat your meal. This adds significant value to the service.
Finally, charging stations are a profitable investment for hotels, whatever their business strategy. They can lead to an increase in clientele or sales for the establishment.
Free recharging points: how to find them for sure?
To avoid the slightest inconvenience in finding a charging station when you travel by electric vehiclewe recommend that you use an application that lists charging stations. Easy Charging Quality for example, shows you all the charging stations in your vicinity, plus a host of other features to make your day-to-day life easier. The app lets you check rates and lets you know if they're busy! You can also view your charging sessions.
In conclusion
This is excellent news for electric vehicle users, who have been accumulating charging solutions in France in recent years to support the acceleration of ecomobility in the country. These solutions have been made possible thanks to various agreements between the French government and some of the country's leading groups.
In addition to the above-mentioned retail signatories, many other shareholders are contributing to the development of ecomobility throughout the country.
