Charging stations for electric cars in Lozère, a world in perpetual expansion

En 2023 à Mende, la SDDE a comptabilisé 1 582 sessions de recharge pour 30 000 KWh délivrés. Midi Libre – Michel Pieyre

Registrations of electric and hybrid cars are expected to grow in 2024. The Lozère department plans to increase the number of public charging stations by 2025.

The electric car boom has begun. Laurent Llinas, general director of services at the Departmental Union of Energy and Equipment of Lozère (SDEE 48) explains the issues: "Today, we let's start from a stable park since 2019, which has 38 terminals, mainly accelerated 22 KW and three large 50 KW chargers (fast terminals) in Mende, Saint-Chély-d'Apcher and Massegros. Which represents 76 charging points (two vehicles can be connected simultaneously)." The aforementioned park depends on the regional grouping of communities  Révéo, which brings together around ten energy unions such as  SDEE 48. The latter  in particular takes care of monitoring the terminals: "We carry out part of the maintenance with our own teams. This allows us to have shortened response times. We obtain a very good availability rate, at more than 90%,” assures the manager. 

The number of charging sessions increased

In 2023, 26% of new car registrations concerned electric (17%) and hybrid (9%) cars. Added since January 1  the launch of the electric vehicle for leasing at &euro 100; per month, the market should be boosted. At the end of last year, the government announced that it would inject 200 million euros to increase the number of charging stations. With 18 million electric vehicles in circulation expected by 2030. "Most charging takes place at home or at the workplace, specifies Laurent Llinas . There are owners of electric cars who do not have points at home and periods of high attendance such as holidays. In 2023, we saw +25% in the number of sessions between 2022 and 2023." With 30% of annual usage distributed in July and August. 

The next installations planned for 2024

The fast terminals (100 & to 150 KW) will be installed &at  Pont-de-Monvert-Sud-Mont Lozère, Ispagnac, Prévenchère, Peyre-en-Aubrac. The accelerated terminals (22 KW) will be installed next to the station. Cassagnas, Bel-Air Val-d'Ance, Gorges du Tarn Causses. In 2025, new points will be put into service or increased: Luc, La Canourgue, Saint-Etienne-du-Valdonnez, Mas-Saint-Chély, Cans-et-Cévennes, Ventalon-en-Cévennes, Sainte-Croix-Vallée-Française.

In Lozère, for 2023, 7,747 charging sessions have been carried out. operated on public terminals, for a total of 140,921 KWh delivered. Demand peaks on weekends between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. 

More and more fast terminals installed

"We have planned a new deployment spread over two to three years. We will install 100 to 150 KW terminals to reduce charging times." Thus, the municipalities Pont-de-Monvert-Sud-Mont-Lozère, Ispagnac, Prévéché, Peyre-en-Aubrac will be equipped with these fast terminals: "The locations have already been defined with the municipalities and the network manager Enedis ."  The second tranche, by 2025, will see the equipment of accelerated terminals (22 KW) in the municipalities of Luc, Mas-Saint-Chély, Cans-et-Cévennes, Sainte-Croix-Vallée-Française , among others. The master plan provides, by 2025, 170 charging points (including ten rapid) and by 2028, 476 charging points (including 26 rapid), in Lozère: " This involves having at least one terminal on each territory of a community of municipalities, the report states. Namely that the equipped communities or municipalities pay the union a flat rate of 300 € per accelerated terminal per year and 700 € for a quick terminal. "We also remain vigilant regarding deployment, particularly on major roads, tourist sites, carpooling areas", underlines Laurent Llinas. If service stations for electric cars are not currently envisaged, the director does not deny anything: "If the need arises, we will mobilize more dedicated parking spaces when recharging." Provided, as is already sometimes the case, that drivers of thermal vehicles do not confuse the locations with a parking space. "It's verbalizable", he concludes. 

Questions to Stéphane Pontillo, Renault dealer in Mende

How is the market doing? of the electric car in Lozère ?

It's a special, mountainous area, but people are interested in hybridization and electric because they are very receptive to the quality of the environment. We are &agrav; a good 20% of sales. The Zoé sells well both new and used, as well as the Twingo. The Dacia Spring also sells very well, with a starting price of at least 100%. 79 €/month with a small contribution. The future Renault Scenic will be 100% electric, with 650 km of autonomy. 

How many electric vehicles do you sell per year ? 

We have around 360 new vehicles delivered per year, including around 80 electric or hybrid. There is a rise in power on the occasion. At the moment we have a lot of requests for the Zoé.

Are there enough public charging stations in Lozère ? < /p>

No, but the delay is not just local. The most severe shortage is felt in dense urban areas and on highways. There is a real problem. And, tomorrow, there will be many more electric cars. It will take time for this to be implemented. But many users have a power box installed at home or can charge at work.  

Are we heading towards load evolutions ?  < /p>

It's hard to know. In the future, it will be necessary to charge faster or change the battery directly. 

What major problem do we encounter on the electric car ?

These are the long distances. Recharging at terminals with super chargers on the highways is very expensive, practically the price of a full tank of gasoline. But afterwards, on a daily basis, the electric car remains very economical.  

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