Availability of charging stations, prices, duration of the trip… We traveled from Paris to Brest in a Volkswagen ID.7. Race report.
After noticing major flaws in the electric charging infrastructure in France two years ago, we wanted to get back on the road in a battery-powered car to answer this question: can you decently drive an electric car on vacation without risking a breakdown or hours of waiting?
In short, is France ready to digest the massive arrival of electric vehicles traveling during the summer, while the European Union has banned the sale of combustion engines from 2035?
To travel far during the holidays, you must own or rent a model with a range greater than 500 kilometers WLTP (Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedures in English), namely the harmonized global standard for light vehicles. Why? Because as soon as you take the motorways or national roads and drive at more than 90 km/hour, the electricity consumption increases significantly, from around 15 kWh per 100 km to more than 20 kWh. Thus, the autonomy displayed by the manufacturer roughly halves, or even more if you put the air conditioning or other electricity-consuming option.
The 500 kilometre autonomy mark
If you do not want to recharge every hour, you must therefore opt for a model promising more than 500 km WLTP. Another strategic choice criterion: choose an electric motor with fast charging capacity. For example, most electric Dacia Springs can only receive up to 30 kW of power on a 50 kW terminal. They are not suitable for a long journey and it would be useless to plug into terminals higher than 50 kW, because it would take the same time and would be more expensive.
To do a Paris-Brest, or about 600 kilometers, we opted for the new Volkswagen ID.7. Worth more than 60,000 euros, this large sedan is the first from the German brand to claim more than 600 kilometers of autonomy. The Pro Life Max version has a battery capacity of 77 kWh and promises a recharge from 10% to 80% of the battery in about 28 minutes. We leave Paris with 100% battery in the middle of the Olympics towards Rennes via the A6 then the A11 and the A81.
Plan your trip
Driving with the ID.7 at 130 km/h on the highway, we are surprised by the little noise and we relish the idea of traveling with 4 people with a low carbon footprint. Owners of Dacia Spring, Tesla Model Y, Renault Megane E-TECH, Peugeot e-208, Volkswagen ID.3, MG4 or BYD Atto 3 already know: traveling electric provides many pleasures.
There are no noisy engine pistons and the driver almost has the sensation of gliding on the road without feeling strong rolling resistance. The cabin is silent. Budding Fangios may nevertheless regret the absence of a manual gearbox since electric vehicles have an automatic gearbox.
Until now, unfortunately, it is mainly the high-end models at more than 45,000 euros that offer a long range: Mercedes EQS, e-5008, Scenic E-Tech and Tesla long range or the ID.7. And the introduction by Brussels of additional customs duties on imports of Chinese electric vehicles impacts their prices…
Before hitting the road, we planned the charging stops using the Chargemap and Volkswagen applications downloaded to our phone: two a priori, in Le Mans and Morlaix, and a journey that promises to last 7 hours 30 minutes, compared to 6 hours straight with a petrol engine. First stop after 200 kilometres travelled and 2 hours 20 minutes of driving at the A11 service area in Sargé-le-Mans at the Total Energies station.
Good news, out of the six 175 kW ultra-fast charging stations, three are available. They are very easy to use with a charging card or credit card. A Total hostess hands out 20% discount vouchers for purchases in the service area shop. The battery can be recharged from 35% to 80% in around twenty minutes. This first experience is very satisfactory. Especially since our coffee break – toilets and refill included – allowed us to get some fresh air.
Defective or occupied terminals
Arriving in Brittany complicates the journey. The second stop in Morlaix, the charging station of the operator Powerdot at the butcher’s shop near the Ibis hotel, close to the national road 12, does not go as planned. In pouring rain and a parking lot on the edge of a departmental road, we notice that the fast terminal is unavailable. Waste of time: about fifteen minutes and we have 18% battery left.
We fall back on the parking terminal of a nearby Lidl supermarket. The two recharges are occupied. After a few minutes, one of them becomes free. We try to pay with the QR code and an application where we enter the credit card details. It does not work. The Volkswagen “We Charge Go” charging card that we have – you can also buy a “Chargemap Pass” – fortunately ends up working.
Another loss of time: about fifteen more minutes, so half an hour in Morlaix without filling up with electrons. To pass the time, we take the opportunity to do some shopping at Lidl. After 25 minutes, we leave with 60% battery.
For fear of no longer finding a terminal after Brest in northern Finistère, we make a quick stop 50 kilometers further on for about ten minutes at the Ploudaniel carpooling area. This last stop was not necessary, except to note that the Ouest Charge network works much better than two years ago: the terminals are available and the electricity flow is fast.
We finally arrive at the village of Porspoder, in Finistère, after a little over 8 hours of travel and a battery charged to 50%. The ID.7 recharges in one hour on the Ouest Charge network in Porspoder where there are two terminals available facing the sea. The rest of the holiday will be easier with spaced charging breaks due to shorter journeys and terminals that work, such as the efficient Electra in Gouesnou (Finistère), the Tesla superchargers in Morlaix available after a 5-minute wait. On the way back to Paris, we note the high speed and availability of the PowerDot chargers at the Cora supermarket in Rots (Calvados) and Fastned on the Rosny-sur-Seine rest area (Yvelines) on the A13.
Cheaper but slower than the train
Cost of the Paris-Brest journey: around 45 euros for a full electric charge, i.e. 30 euros at Total Énergies at an ultra-fast charging station (at a rate of 0.65 euros/kWh) and 15 euros at Lidl at a slightly slower charging station, the last charge on the Ouest Charge network having been superfluous. You have to add 32 euros for the Paris-Rennes toll, i.e. 87 euros for four people compared to around 175 euros for the Paris-Brest TGV (3 hours 45 minutes of travel by road compared to 8 hours by electric car).
