The French energy regulator, CRE – Commission de régulation de l’énergie, has published an interesting set of recommendations to guide the development of electric mobility. Overall, the proposals help charging point operators to roll out charging infrastructure more quickly and cost-effectively, enable users to lower their charging costs, and reduce the costs associated with and improve the systemic benefits of transport electrification.
I’d like to briefly summarise the main points, which I think also provide interesting food for thought for regulators and policymakers in other countries.
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When rolling out (public) charging infrastructure, charging point operators can choose optimal locations from a transport and grid perspective if there is more transparency on grid capacity and more cost-reflective pricing for new grid connections. This will reduce both direct and societal costs. It will also encourage smart combinations such as co-generation with renewable energy sources and storage (which is also in line with the RFNBO schemes in Europe under the #REDIII). New tariffs could also reward limited reductions in capacity, enabling faster connecting times.
Currently, operators pay only 17.5% of the cost of connecting new motorway charging points themselves. While this supports the necessary roll-out, it obscures the price signal that guides system optimisation, so a rebalancing of the support measures could support and align both objectives.
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Another step towards aligning cost reduction for EV users with societal benefits is to make smart charging the default (not mandatory) at residential charging points. A simple transmission of the current peak/off-peak signal from the meter could work well for the majority of home charging (often still from a wall socket, not a dedicated charging point), but adding connectivity to new charging points opens up dynamic possibilities (which would increase benefits by a further estimated €300 million / year by 2035). This in turn could allow system operators (TSO and DSO) to tap into a pool of flexibility through market-based mechanisms.
I’m pleased that extending the user benefits of smart charging to public charging infrastructure is also being embraced. Whether charging at home at a private charging point or using the public charging infrastructure, users should see their contribution to flexibility rewarded in their tariffs. Of course, these recommendations also apply to V2G.
