Not even a month after the announcement, Auchan and Nissan have inaugurated the first of 130 CHAdeMO DC fast chargers they intend to install in all the parking lots of this 2nd largest supermarket chain in France, making this the first national network of fast chargers.
On 26 March, Auchan and Nissan have celebrated the installation of their first charger in the parking lot of Auchan Mantes, in the suburbs of Paris. There are 3 EV-only parking slots around a dual-arm DBT-CEV charger (CHAdeMO + AC). Any EV drivers equipped with a pre-registered KiWhi Pass would have access to these chargers every day, around the clock and benefit from CHAdeMO fast charge: 80% of the EV battery within 30 minutes.
“This is a historic moment: the beginning of a network of fast chargers”, declared Bernard Loire, the President of Nissan West Europe. Vincent Mignot, Managing Director of Auchan, has explained that “This is in line with our policy of ‘responsible discount’ and we are glad to contribute to the development of EVs through this partnership.” According to Mr. Mignot, there are almost 300 million visitors annually to Auchan stores nationally and the average duration of shopping is 46 minutes “or shorter than the time of the charge.”
Usage of these chargers would be free of charge for all EVs until the end of this year (till the end of 2015 for Nissan drivers) and Auchan will decide on the price to charge after having evaluated the usage data of EV drivers, but promises “a reasonable price in line with our policy.”
They expect all the Auchan stores be equipped with this type of charger in the coming 3 months or so. French EV drivers can now start planning their summer holiday trips in their beloved EVs.
