Summary of an electric Tour de France.
We did 1,742k's or 1,082m's in 8 days (incl a non-driving day) - almost all on N and D roads. Electricity (incl an estimated Eur3 at home and a top-up at a friend’s) cost Eur62.94. In our former diesel car that would have cost Eur 250. 1/8
We did 1,742k's or 1,082m's in 8 days (incl a non-driving day) - almost all on N and D roads. Electricity (incl an estimated Eur3 at home and a top-up at a friend’s) cost Eur62.94. In our former diesel car that would have cost Eur 250. 1/8
The cost of charging varies absurdly. The most expensive by far was Eur 21.21 for 27.245 kwh in 80 mins at a Corri-Dor borne at an Intermarché supermarket in Limoges.
Lesson: avoid supermarkets unless they are free. Avoid private providers. Go for the publicly-run “bornes”. 2/8
Lesson: avoid supermarkets unless they are free. Avoid private providers. Go for the publicly-run “bornes”. 2/8
As a comparison we got 21.969 kwh for Euros 4.84 from a publicly-run borne in Saumur on the Loire. We got 14.808 Kwh for Eur 3.30 from a public borne in Saint Antonin de Nobleval in Tarne et Garonne. No other charge cost more than Eur 9.74. 3/8
We came across one borne that didn’t work; one where we had to phone a help-line to release our cable; one that cut off before the battery was full; and one (the costly one) where we were in a queue of cars waiting (impatiently) for electricity. This was WORSE than last year. 4/8
We were in a 2-yrs old Zoe, with a nominal range of 300ks. Sometimes we got more k’s; sometimes less. The Zoe is a great car for short trips. It was never intended as a cross-country limo. In range/charging time, it is obsolete compared to newer models, incl. the newer Zoe. 5/8
We made these big journeys this year and last because a) we don’t have another car b) we had lots of k’s left on our lease c) it’s fun (mostly) to drift along France’s secondary road system rather than take the autoroutes. 6/8
Conclusions:
A 2 yr old Zoe should not be considered the cutting edge of e-motoring.
The charging network in France, though expanding, remains poor, with varying charges and 4 or 5 different kinds of cable connector. 7/8.
A 2 yr old Zoe should not be considered the cutting edge of e-motoring.
The charging network in France, though expanding, remains poor, with varying charges and 4 or 5 different kinds of cable connector. 7/8.
We saw more electric cars than last year. (They are still only just over 1% of the total fleet). But France (and the EU) has a great deal of work to do before 2035-40 when petrol/diesel is supposed to become a thing of the past. 8/8
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