French CPO alliance to build 40,000 HPC charging points by 2028

In France, 13 charge point operators (CPOs) have joined forces to form the new Charge France association in order to massively drive forward the expansion of the French HPC charging network. The aim is to have 40,000 ultra-fast charging points by 2028, with Ionity, Fastned and Allego among the founding members.

The 13 CPOs have joined forces to multiply the number of public charging points in France’s ultra-fast charging network while ensuring that drivers of electric cars have convenient access to the network nationwide. The newly founded association states that its members in France have already invested over one billion euros in public charging infrastructure and have pledged a further three billion euros by 2028 under the umbrella of Charge France.

The initiators also quantify the expansion of the network. The current 2,000 HPC charging parks with 10,000 charging points are set to become around 8,000 locations with 40,000 charging points by 2028. This would correspond to a quadrupling of the current supply. The members of the association are Electra, Fastned, Allego, Ionity, Atlante, ChargeGuru, Powerdot, Chargepoint, Driveco, Zunder France, e-Totem, Engie Vianeo and Izivia.

In an accompanying press release, those responsible make it clear that most of the HPC locations currently accessible in France have been built in the last 24 months: “Over the past two years, France has seen a 115% increase in ultra-fast charging infrastructure, making it the fastest-growing EV charging market in Europe.” With the planned roll-out of over 40,000 HPC points, Charge France wants to position the country as a benchmark for high-power charging. In addition to the expansion itself, the association’s members want to focus on strategic cooperation and political lobbying.

Aurélien de Meaux, CEO of Electra, is the first president of Charge France. The manager comments: “The electrification of transport is a top priority for France and the EU. Charge France will play a key role in ensuring France has a reliable and expansive charging network to support this transition.”

“France has made incredible progress in expanding its ultra-fast charging infrastructure, but to keep this momentum, we need strong collaboration between CPOs, policymakers, and industry stakeholders,” said Adrien Simonnet, Head of Sales and Network Development at Allego France and also a board member of Charge France, adding: “Charge France will play a vital role in ensuring EV drivers have the infrastructure they need while also advocating for the right regulatory and financial conditions to sustain long-term growth.”

allego.eu, evboosters.com, atlante.energy (PDF)