- France increased the number of electric car charging points by 52% in 2022
- It is positioned ahead of Germany, and behind the Netherlands
- France’s goal is to have 100,000 charging points
To democratize the electric car, we need affordable cars, but also charging points in sufficient numbers and well distributed. And the good news is that when it comes to chargers, France is on the right track. Power2Drive has just published the results of a study on electric car charging points in Europe. According to these results, France had 83,317 charging points in 2022, a good increase of 52% compared to 2021.
Better still, only one country does better than France. This is the Netherlands which, in 2022, had 111,821 charging points, and an increase of 32% compared to 2021. Behind France, there is Germany, which had 82,609 charging points in 2022, and which increased this number by 43% compared to 2021. In fourth place is Italy. And in fifth place, there is Spain, which grew strongly in 2022. Indeed, the number of charging points in the country increased by 223% in 2022.
We are close to 100,000
“Electromobility is the key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by the transport sector and therefore to combating climate change. However, making widespread electromobility achievable requires a comprehensive, responsive and user-friendly charging infrastructure”, also indicates Power2Drive. In any case, the French government is on the verge of achieving its objective, as far as electric car chargers are concerned.
This goal is to have 100,000 recharge points. And according to a report by Avere, at the end of March, there were more than 95,755 charging points, with an average availability rate of 86% for these points. The report also mentions an average of 142 charging points available per 100,000 inhabitants.
AC/DC: the difference?
If France has more charging points than Germany, Power2Drive indicates however that Germany has more “DC” (direct current) chargers than France. “DC charging stations with a power of 50 kW or more charge electric cars faster for greater range than AC charging stations (alternating current, editor’s note), whose alternating current is converted to direct current by the car”explains the report.
Germany has 12,833 charging points that provide direct current. France has 8,220, while Spain has 5,013. These faster charging points are important for countries like France or Germany that have a large area.
Power2Drive publishes these data as it prepares to organize an international exhibition dedicated to charging and e-mobility, in June, in Munich. An event that will have more than 2,200 exhibitors and expects to welcome more than 85,000 visitors.
