What is the role of energy syndicates in shaping the EV charging infrastructure in France?
This edition will focus on a specific type of player in the emobility landscape: French “syndicats d’énergie”, energy syndicates. They handle several energy management-related tasks, among which EV charging infrastructure.
At Gireve, we are at the heart of the EV charging industry, empowering CPOs and eMSPs with our seamless roaming platform. Combining marketplace technologies, transaction processing, and data management, our mission is to support stakeholders and accelerate their transition to electric mobility on a global scale. But we don’t stop there: we process and enrich data on charging stations and driver behaviors. We offer insightful analysis and strategic consulting. We believe that this wealth of information will shape the future of mobility, making it sustainable, innovative, and accessible to all.
So, we’re sharing a series of insights learned from our data, to foster discussions and learn together.
We are happy to present our monthly publication related to our Data and Consulting department: Beyond EV Charging
Executive Summary
As of today in France, there are more than 2,2 million public and private charging points, making it one of the best equipped countries in the EU. When it comes to public infrastructure, the deployments have first spread to ensure homogeneous coverage and the reduction of charging deserts. The investments then turned to high-traffic areas and fast charging. To meet the first need, the “syndicats départementaux d’énergie”, which are local energy syndicates, are in the front line. This article therefore addresses this specific segment of the market, with the aim of mapping the related networks and establishing their features.
Introduction
The first deployments by Syndicats d’énergie (SDE) date back to at least 2013. The coverage of the French landscape was supported by subsidies to install 1 charging station every 20 km at a national level. A first wave of deployment took place around 2017, following a recommendation from the French government. Public policies designed the rollout to achieve an initial homogeneous network. They ensured the presence of SDE’s charging networks in rural areas. Subsequently, rollouts have been adapted to usage and needs. Since 2022, a new wave of installations has followed the introduction of SDIRVEs (charging network deployment plans), defining charging objectives.
Evolution of the infrastructure
SDEs are not the only ones to install charging points. As mentioned above, the “EVSE competence” is the responsibility of municipalities. Some cities or groups of cities, such as metropolises, also install charging stations. Often, the metropolis retains jurisdiction over its territory, while the SDE takes charge of the rest of the county.
The first wave of deployment for public institutions took place from 2015 to 2017. It was followed by a second wave from 2022 to 2024. The drop in volume observed in 2018 can be explained by the end of the Autolib project in the Paris region, which included over 6,000 chargers. In 2018, Syndicats d’énergie accounted for almost 50% of all charging stations open to the public. As the ecosystem evolves, new players develop to cover other needs and use cases. That’s why the SDE share has fallen to 17%. The landscape remains fragmented still, with around 95 SDEs, almost 1 per French department.
Mapping of networks
Some energy syndicates work together to create a network to pool costs and management. However, management can be totally or partially delegated. Finally, some SDEs operate independently with their own network. Here, we can see that some syndicates have joined forces to form regional networks. This is the case of MObiVE in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Ouest Charge in Brittany and REVEO in Occitanie.
Power repartition
The distinctive feature of charging networks managed by SDEs is the predominance of AC power compared to the private sector average. This makes sense. Indeed, the installations took place in the early days of infrastructure development. The aim was to ensure minimum coverage. Site types also differ from the private sector average, with installations mainly on roads and parking lots. We see an under-representation of highway and retail site types, where deployments depend on private initiatives (see paper 5), supported by national regulations (paper 12). It is logical as local authorities own the land. They decide whether or not to delegate the installation to the private sector or the energy syndicate.
Conclusion
At the start of the development of electric mobility, the Syndicats d’énergie were instrumental in ensuring a nationwide network of charging infrastructure. Although their proportion has fallen, they continue to play an important role in deployment in poorly equipped areas, particularly in rural areas. In this respect, the role played by SDEs in the networking and provision of charging facilities open to the public can be compared with that of the StadtWerke in Germany; Stadtwerke are municipal companies that have been delegated several roles, including local charging networks.
SDE recharging networks currently account for 17% of all installations. An analysis of the deployment and nature of these networks shows that they tend to focus on AC charging and mostly install chargers on roads. Today, the territory has sufficient coverage in dense areas. However it is sometimes necessary to supplement private deployment to meet the needs. For SDEs, the challenge is now to ensure the quality and reliability of service on terminals that are over 10 years old. Some local authorities have already decided not to invest in their own systems. So they let private initiative cover current and future needs. It will be interesting to see how the syndicates’ activity develops over the next decade.
