Cost to charge an electric car in France (2026)
As of August 6, 2026, charging an electric car at home in France costs about €2.77–€4.02 per 100 km (€0.20/kWh, including the ~12% AC charging loss) across the 21 electric models we price — versus about €13.44 of petrol for a typical 7 L/100 km car. Home charging only; every model below links to its full cost page.
Per 100 km at home — France
| Electric model | kWh/100km | Per 100 km at home |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ (électrique) | 12.2 kWh/100km | €2.77 |
| Renault Twingo E-Tech (2026) | 13 kWh/100km | €2.95 |
| Dacia Spring (2026 new gen) | 13.5 kWh/100km | €3.07 |
| Lexus RZ 350e Luxe | 14.4 kWh/100km | €3.27 |
| BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupé | 14.7 kWh/100km | €3.34 |
| Renault 5 E-Tech | 15 kWh/100km | €3.41 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 15 kWh/100km | €3.41 |
| Polestar 2 Standard Range Single Motor | 15.3 kWh/100km | €3.48 |
| Peugeot e-208 | 15.5 kWh/100km | €3.52 |
| VW ID.3 (Neo 2026) | 15.5 kWh/100km | €3.52 |
| Renault 4 E-Tech | 16 kWh/100km | €3.64 |
| MG4 (2026) | 16 kWh/100km | €3.64 |
| Renault Megane E-Tech | 16 kWh/100km | €3.64 |
| BMW iX1 eDrive20 | 16 kWh/100km | €3.64 |
| Audi Q4 e-tron 40 | 16.5 kWh/100km | €3.75 |
| Volvo EX30 Extended Range | 16.5 kWh/100km | €3.75 |
| Genesis GV60 Premium (propulsion) | 16.7 kWh/100km | €3.80 |
| Citroen e-C3 | 17 kWh/100km | €3.86 |
| Renault Scenic E-Tech | 17 kWh/100km | €3.86 |
| Tesla Model Y | 17 kWh/100km | €3.86 |
| Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor | 17.7 kWh/100km | €4.02 |
A typical 7 L/100 km petrol car: €13.44/100 km.
Home vs public charging in France — the 5 cheapest EVs to charge
Public and DC fast charging in France is billed per session by each network and varies widely, so we model it the way the kernel does on every cost page: 2.5× the home rate — about €0.50/kWh against €0.20/kWh at home. That is a planning estimate, not any network's tariff. Here is what it does to the 5 cheapest-to-charge models we price in France:
| Electric model | Per 100 km at home | Public (≈2.5× home) | Extra per year if all-public |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ (électrique) | €2.77 | €6.93 | +€499 |
| Renault Twingo E-Tech (2026) | €2.95 | €7.39 | +€532 |
| Dacia Spring (2026 new gen) | €3.07 | €7.67 | +€552 |
| Lexus RZ 350e Luxe | €3.27 | €8.18 | +€589 |
| BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupé | €3.34 | €8.35 | +€601 |
- Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ (électrique) is the cheapest EV to charge in France — €2.77 per 100 km at home — and at the public estimate (€6.93) it still beats the €13.44 of petrol a 7 L/100 km car burns over the same distance.
- A Renault Twingo E-Tech (2026) draws 13 kWh per 100 km, so home charging runs €2.95; at the public estimate (€7.39) it still beats the €13.44 of petrol a 7 L/100 km car burns over the same distance.
- For the Dacia Spring (2026 new gen), public-only charging would add about €552 a year at 12 000 km/year over charging at home (€3.07 vs €7.67 per 100 km); even then it stays under the €13.44 a 7 L/100 km petrol car needs.
- A Lexus RZ 350e Luxe draws 14.4 kWh per 100 km, so home charging runs €3.27; at the public estimate (€8.18) it still beats the €13.44 of petrol a 7 L/100 km car burns over the same distance.
- For the BMW i4 eDrive35 Gran Coupé, public-only charging would add about €601 a year at 12 000 km/year over charging at home (€3.34 vs €8.35 per 100 km); even then it stays under the €13.44 a 7 L/100 km petrol car needs.
Even at the 2.5× public estimate, all 5 of these models still undercut the €13.44 of petrol a typical 7 L/100 km car burns per 100 km — in France the charging case survives without a driveway. Our 5-year totals on each model page assume 80% home / 20% public charging at this same multiple — these two columns are the ends of that range.