Daily EV news · France · 2 November 2026
EV Charging
Is a 22 kW AC option worth paying for on the Renault Mégane E Tech electric?
Renault's pricing release of 7 July 2026 distinguishes an 11 kW AC onboard charger from a 22 kW option on the Mégane E Tech electric range, but it describes an announced offer and does not confirm that equipped vehicles are available now. Citing Schneider Electric's French FAQ, published on 28 August 2026 and updated on 14 September, the article notes that the manufacturer figure is only a vehicle side ceiling: delivered power also depends on the charge point, the cable, vehicle settings and any load shedding. The FAQ equates 11 kW with three phase 16 A and 22 kW with three phase 32 A, and a three phase 32 A Type 2 cable allows 22 kW while a single phase 32 A cable caps at 7.4 kW. The piece relies on scenarios for a 45 minute public AC stop, not measurements.
Why it matters
For CPOs and buyers of public AC, the 22 kW vehicle option only pays off where the charge point, cabling and load management can actually deliver three phase 32 A, so specification and site power planning matter as much as the car. Dwell time assumptions should be tested against real delivered power rather than headline ratings.
Electric Vehicles
Farizon publishes France brief for 2027 SV van, from 43,000 euros excluding VAT with about 380 km WLTP range
On 27 October, Geely's electric commercial vehicle brand Farizon released a French presentation file for its 2027 model year SV. It lists the SV 2WD from 43,000 euros excluding VAT and the SV AWD from 50,500 euros excluding VAT, both as "from" prices. The quoted ranges are tied to different set-ups: 384 km WLTP combined for the L1H1 2WD with an 83.66 kWh battery, and 380 km for the L2H1 AWD with a 100.46 kWh battery. The article notes the document does not explicitly say the entry price matches the 384 km configuration.
Why it matters
Buyers and fleet operators should get the price, body size, battery and range pairing confirmed in writing before comparing quotes or planning depot charging. Differing battery capacities also change the energy each van needs per charge, which feeds into charger sizing and power planning.
Volkswagen ID Polo and Skoda Epiq compared as technical cousins in the small electric segment
A French-language comparison sets the Volkswagen ID Polo, an electric city car, against the Skoda Epiq, a small SUV, after the publication tested each separately. The ID Polo measures 4.05 m long, 1.81 m wide and 1.53 m high, while the Epiq measures 4.17 m long, 1.80 m wide and 1.58 m high. The excerpt covers design and dimensions, with the verdict on everyday criteria not included in the text provided.
Why it matters
Two closely related small EVs from the same group, one a city car and one a compact SUV, point to growing volumes of affordable electric models that will need public charging. Operators and buyers planning French sites should note the extra choice at the entry end of the market, though the excerpt gives no charging specifications.
Volkswagen · Skoda · Source
France's 41.9% electric share for October 2026 came from a provisional count, not the full month
L'Argus published a provisional count on 30 October, attributed to NGC-Data, covering registrations up to the evening of 29 October. It showed 131,390 new car registrations, with fully electric models at 41.9% and hybrids at 37.1%. The 30 and 31 October days were missing, so comparing the figure with the 139,514 registrations of the full month of October 2025 contrasts 29 days with 31, and L'Argus updated its article on 1 November once the final October result was known, which was close to but not identical to the headline share.
Why it matters
Demand forecasts for charging sites should rest on final monthly registration data, not partial counts that can mislead on both market size and electric share. The electric share remains strong in France, but planners should check the period covered before quoting a figure in bids or investment cases.
France's new car market grows 7.05% in October as electric cars reach 41.5% share and the new Renault Twingo leads EV registrations
French new private car registrations rose 7.05% in October to 149,345 vehicles, following an 11.6% rise in September. Battery-electric registrations jumped 81.7% in the month, while petrol registrations fell 44.2% and hybrid registrations also declined. Electric cars took a 41.5% share in October, broadly in line with September, and 32.5% year to date against 18.9% in 2025. The new Renault Twingo topped the EV ranking with 4,747 registrations, narrowly ahead of the Renault 5 on 4,666, while the Renault Scénic placed fourth with 3,037, up 82% year on year.
Why it matters
With electric cars now taking more than four in ten new registrations, charge point demand from fleets and private drivers is growing quickly, and the Renault models leading the ranking are the ones CPOs should prioritise when planning home, workplace and public charging provision.
Xpeng demonstrates NGP supervised driving on Paris streets at the Mondial de l'Auto, targeting Europe from 2027
At the Mondial de l'Auto in Paris, Xpeng let visitors ride in its L03 with the NGP (Next Generation Pilot) supervised driving system, its first large scale public showing outside China. The demonstration ran at the show's Autonomous Lab alongside Tesla's FSD, on open roads with traffic, roadworks, cyclists, narrow streets and roundabouts, but with a Xpeng driver at the wheel because no authorisation exists in France. NGP is presented as level 2++ supervised driving, and Xpeng aims to deploy it in Europe from 2027.
Why it matters
Another Chinese manufacturer is preparing to compete with Tesla on supervised autonomy in Europe, which could shape the profile of vehicles arriving at public chargers in the coming years. CPOs and procurement teams should treat this as an early competitive signal rather than a near term change to site demand.
Policy & Market
French survey finding that 57% do not want an electric car is questioned over its methodology
DiscoverCars published a survey on 21 October on how fuel prices affect driver habits, and one figure for France was that 57% of French respondents say they are not currently considering a hybrid or electric car. The survey rests on 1,110 international responses gathered in September from customers of the car rental comparison site, and the French sample size is not given, so no national margin of error can be calculated. The coverage notes that no quotas, weighting, response rate or random sampling are described, so the figure reflects a group of rental platform customers rather than French drivers as a whole.
Why it matters
Headlines claiming French drivers reject electric cars can shape political and investor sentiment, but this one cannot be generalised from the published data. Procurement teams and CPOs should rely on registration, usage and representative panel data when judging French demand, not this survey.
EDF off peak hour changes from 4 November 2026 may leave EV charging schedules out of step in France
EDF says in its guide, updated on 26 October 2026, that changes to off peak hour slots will apply between 4 November 2026 and 30 November 2027 for customers who have not yet switched, and Service Public relayed the information on 28 October. EDF keeps eight off peak hours a day, including at least five consecutive hours at night, but their position in the day can shift and sometimes vary by season. Tempo customers, Corsica and the overseas territories are excluded, and each customer receives an individual notice giving their new slots and the date they take effect.
Why it matters
Home chargers controlled by the meter will follow the new slots automatically, but schedules programmed in the car or the charger itself may not, so drivers could end up charging at full price. Installers and charge point operators should expect support requests and may want to check customer scheduling setups.