France: Will charging stations soon be more transparent?

France's competition authority recommends greater transparency in pricing for electric vehicle charging stations, to help consumers understand this booming sector.
Transparence tarifaire impérative bornes électriques

Partagez:

The electric vehicle charging station sector has been booming in France in recent years, driven by public policies in favor of sustainable mobility. With an ambitious target of 400,000 recharging points across the country by 2030, compared with just over 100,000 at present, this fast-growing market raises crucial issues of competition and transparency for consumers.

Widespread pricing opacity denounced

In an opinion published on Tuesday, the French competition authority (Autorité de la Concurrence), which is responsible for ensuring that competition operates smoothly, points the finger at a “particularly high level of pricing opacity” in the market for electric charging stations. According to the institution, consumers face a “major information deficit” when it comes to top-up tariffs, making it virtually impossible to compare prices. The Authority highlights the multiplicity of charging methods offered at the same terminal (with or without subscription, depending on the operator), the various pricing parameters (per minute, per kWh, additional charges), as well as the variables linked to the terminal’s power and the vehicle’s characteristics, all of which contribute to this financial opacity for the user.

Recommendations for restoring transparency

In order to re-establish greater tariff transparency, the key to fair competition, the Autorité de la concurrence has drawn up no fewer than 40 recommendations for public authorities, regulators and industry players. Among its main recommendations, it calls for a single kilowatt-hour (kWh) charge for recharging, and for tariffs to be transmitted and updated in real time in an accessible government database. The Authority also suggests rapidly experimenting with the display of refueling prices upstream of stations and at main freeway entrances, along the lines of what is done for traditional fuels.

Consumer information is of paramount importance

Although increased tariff transparency could theoretically increase the risk of anti-competitive practices such as price collusion between operators, the French Competition Authority believes that consumer information must take precedence in this emerging sector.
It therefore recommends that, at the end of each recharging session, terminal operators be obliged to display instantly and clearly the price actually paid by the electric vehicle user directly on the terminal.
For the Autorité, these measures in favor of greater transparency are essential to “restore consumer confidence” and promote the healthy development of this strategic market for the energy transition.

Rapid growth in solar and wind capacities will lead to a significant rise in electricity curtailment in Brazil, as existing transmission infrastructure remains inadequate to handle this massive influx of energy, according to a recent study by consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.
In April 2025, fossil fuels represented 49.5% of South Korea's electricity mix, dropping below the symbolic threshold of 50% for the first time, primarily due to a historic decline in coal-generated electricity production.
The US Senate Finance Committee modifies the '45Z' tax credit to standardize the tax treatment of renewable fuels, thereby encouraging advanced biofuel production starting October 2025.
While advanced economies maintain global energy leadership, China and the United States have significantly progressed in the security and sustainability of their energy systems, according to the World Economic Forum's annual report.
On the sidelines of the US–Africa summit in Luanda, Algiers and Luanda consolidate their energy collaboration to better exploit their oil, gas, and mining potential, targeting a common strategy in regional and international markets.
The UK's Climate Change Committee is urging the government to quickly reduce electricity costs to facilitate the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicles, judged too slow to achieve the set climate targets.
The European Commission will extend until the end of 2030 an expanded state-aid framework, allowing capitals to fund low-carbon technologies and nuclear power to preserve competitiveness against China and the United States.
Japan's grid operator forecasts an energy shortfall of up to 89 GW by 2050 due to rising demand from semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence technologies.
Energy-intensive European industries will be eligible for temporary state aid to mitigate high electricity prices, according to a new regulatory framework proposed by the European Commission under the "Clean Industrial Deal."
Mauritius seeks international investors to swiftly build a floating power plant of around 100 MW, aiming to secure the national energy supply by January 2026 and address current production shortfalls.
Madrid announces immediate energy storage measures while Lisbon secures its electrical grid, responding to the historic outage that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula in late April.
Indonesia has unveiled its new national energy plan, projecting an increase of 69.5 GW in electricity capacity over ten years, largely funded by independent producers, to address rapidly rising domestic demand.
French Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher condemns the parliamentary moratorium on new renewable energy installations, warning of the potential loss of 150,000 industrial jobs and increased energy dependence on foreign countries.
The European battery regulation, fully effective from August 18, significantly alters industrial requirements related to electric cars and bicycles, imposing strict rules on recycling, supply chains, and transparency for companies.
The European Parliament calls on the Commission to strengthen energy infrastructure and accelerate the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal to enhance the continent's energy flexibility and security amid increased market volatility.
The European Commission unveils an ambitious plan to modernize electricity grids and introduces the Clean Industrial Deal, mobilizing hundreds of billions of euros to strengthen the continent's industrial and energy autonomy.
In the United States, regulated electric grid operators hold a decisive advantage in connecting new data centres to the grid, now representing 134 GW of projects, according to a Wood Mackenzie report published on June 19.
The French National Assembly approves a specific target of 200 TWh renewable electricity production by 2030 within a legislative text extensively debated about the future national energy mix.
In 2024, US CO₂ emissions remain stable at 5.1bn tonnes, as the Trump administration prepares hydrocarbon-friendly energy policies, raising questions about the future evolution of the American market.
The early publication of France's energy decree triggers strong parliamentary reactions, as the government aims to rapidly secure investments in nuclear and other energy sectors.