Why does the price of an electric car recharge sometimes goes simple or double on the same terminal?

If most recharges of electric vehicles are done at home or at work, public charging stations are essential on the holiday route.

How to navigate? While many French people will take the holiday route, and for some in electric car, Franceinfo looks at the operation of the 168 000 Public electric charging stations which offer very different prices. Users denounce the illegible prices of public electrical charging stations.

The nearby public charging stations appear on the GPS of the car of Pascal Hureau, president of a user federation. “There, we arrive at a station with two types of terminals, fast or slightly slower, these are the ones at the bottom”, he says. This terminal, of the brand Electrais located in an office area, in the Paris region. Unlike petrol stations, prices are not visible from afar in the majority of electric stations. It is therefore impossible to know them without stopping.

Once in front of the terminal, you have to choose your means of payment. Drivers can pay by credit card or use an application on the phone. “It is more expensive by credit card”, says Pascal Hureau. A way for the station to encourage consumers to download its mobile application. To reduce costs, it is also possible to take a subscription, which reduces the cost of fast charging, or simply choose the so -called terminal “spring”. Consequence: five different rates are displayed at the same terminal.

Among the 168,000 public recharge points, a large part belongs to the brand of electric vehicles Tesla which has one of the largest stations networks in France. “You have a communication of a few seconds between the terminal and the car. My bank account is directly recognized by Tesla”, explains Pascal Hureau. The system therefore seems simpler but here, the prices fluctuate according to the hours of the day.“If you come at midnight for example, they descend prices to encourage people to come out of peak hours”, Exhibits the president of the user federation. The prices vary between 14 and 33 euros to recharge half of the vehicle, that is to say 50% of the battery.

Some terminals do not accept bank cards, which can be complicated during long journeys. You have to be provided with mobility cards, pass provided by the car manufacturer, local authorities or a brand of gas station. These cards cost a few euros and are sometimes even free. There are more than twenty of them which operate at all terminals but which do not unlock the same price.

“There, the terminal displayed nothing … I will only know the price after after, there is no way to estimate”, Regrets a motorist in an Engie station on the highway. “I don’t know at all how much it will cost”, abounds a driver who comes from “badger” with its pass.“It would still be an advantage if the price was the same everywhere”, also underlines a user.

None of them paid for the same price, because they have different cards. “The profitability of these card operators is based on the margin they make when you recharge”, explains Lucile Buisson, energy project manager at the UFC-Que Choisir.

“These are the margins of charging cards operators that lead to these pricing skids.”

Lucile Buisson, UFC-Que Choisir

in franceinfo

Some users therefore have several cards on them. “They will use the card which, on this terminal in question and at this time in question, will give them the best price”, continues Lucile Buisson. The UFC-Que Choisir requests that the bank card be accepted in all stations to simplify things and especially for drivers who rent an electric car during the holidays and discover this system.

This tariff opacity is also pointed out by the competition authority, which recommends installing large panels to display the price of recharge, as the petrol stations do. The question of applying a single rate at each charging station is also arising. But this price fluctuation is however a “Advantage for users”, estimates the general delegate of the National Association for the Development of Electric Mobility (AVERE). This federation brings together all the players in electric mobility, including manufacturers and equipment manufacturers. “Today, we have a lot of networks and actors, so there is competition that allows the user to choose”continues Clément Molizon.

“Either I choose simplicity, or I choose the cheapest service. And in this case indeed, you have to spend a little more time to look.”

Clément Molizon, general delegate of Avere

in franceinfo

Public recharge represents “Little recharges in the year”, Also underlines the general delegate of Avere. “We recharge a lot at home and at work so we still have a fuel budget which is divided by three”. On average, an electric car driver pays 37 euros per month to recharge, according to the Avere, far from 105 or 110 Euros monthly from the owners of a petrol or diesel engine.