Starting from September 30, 2013, a total of 372 dealerships from Renault’s distribution network in France will start offering users of electric vehicles a free 1-hour charge per day. The dealerships will be equipped with fast-charge terminals located on the outdoor parking lots. According to Renault, the 22 kW charging terminals can charge batteries to 80 percent of their capacity in one hour.
In total, the 372 Renault dealerships offer 875 fast-charge stations that can be used by EV drivers as an alternative to private stations at home or at work. The fast chargers will be available during the dealerships’ working hours to all EV users, irrespective of their car’s brand, as long as they have a cable that fits type 3 connectors for electric vehicles.
The potential of the network will be demonstrated by two Renault Zoe EVs that will travel from Paris to La Rochelle on France’s Atlantic coast, covering a distance of 477 km (296 miles). On September 18, the two Zoes drove from Paris to La Rochelle charging along the way at the Renault dealerships in Chartres, Chinon and Les Herbiers.
Besides this initiative, Renault has teamed up with local authorities (SydEV in the Vendée department, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional authority and others) and a number private enterprises, such as the E. Leclerc chain of hypermarkets, to develop the EV charging infrastructure, which along with battery range represents a key prerequisite for the development of electric mobility.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
