Ultra-fast EV charging station inaugurated on A31 motorway service area

A very high-power charging station for electric vehicles was inaugurated this Friday on the Dijon Spoy (A31) motorway service area in the Dijon/Nancy direction. Six terminals with new technology, capable of supplying power between 150kW and 300kW.

This is good news for owners of electric vehicles. All the more so with the approach of the summer holidays which are often synonymous with long journeys. A total of 12 terminals have been installed at the Dijon Spoy rest area and that of Brognon, in Côte d’Or. The locations were not chosen at random, both are on the A31 motorway. A major axis where 100,000 vehicles pass daily between north and south.

The charging stations are equipped with touch screens and LEDs. They work with a magnetic card or a smartphone application. On the ground, a sign displays the power. “We mainly installed 150kW terminals, which today corresponds to the charging capacity of most vehicles. We have a few terminals at 300kW because in the future all vehicles will tend towards this power”explains Pierre Mougin, Activity Manager at SPIE CityNetworks.

To recover sufficient autonomy, it takes between 15 and 20 minutes for a charge depending on the type of vehicle. All market connectors are available (CCS, T2, CHAdeMO).

“We eat fast, we recharge fast and we go fast”

Aurélien Gerondi, terminal user

Aurélien and Joël go back to Lorraine aboard a white Tesla after professional training in Lyon. “We have 500 km to go”they explain. On the highway, the two colleagues essentially stop to recharge their top-of-the-range electric model using this type of ultra-fast terminal. “In 20 minutes I have enough charge for the rest of my course. On the slower terminals found mainly in the city, it takes 2 to 3 hours” explains Aurélien Gerondi.

On the screen, a green battery indicates 90% full charge. Their journey can resume: “we eat fast, we reload fast and we go fast”, smiles Aurélien before getting on the passenger side.

In France, nearly 20% of new registrations concern electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. This represents less than 2% of the French car fleet. However, the stakes are high to prepare for the future of millions of motorists when refueling. And this, even if the ban on the sale of cars with thermal engines has been postponed beyond 2035, by the European Commission.

“We have a real commitment to decarbonize mobility”says Véronique Tallon, customer manager of the APRR network, after cutting the cord to inaugurate the station. “On our network we see an increase in the number of top-ups. If we compare this beginning of the year 2022 to 2023, we are already at more than 70%”says Véronique Tallon.

The Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône motorway company has decided to equip 100% of its motorway service areas. It has 46 in Burgundy Franche-Comté, or 283 charging points just for the APRR, which is not the only company responsible for operating a French motorway network. In France, 100,000 terminals have already been installed.

To refuel your electric vehicle, the terminals installed offer payment by bank card or via the application of the operator e-Vadea. A recharge badge can also be used. These stations can also accommodate long vehicles or vehicles with trailers, as well as utility vehicles.