As the DGCCRF steps up its oversight on the transparency and simplification of electric vehicle charging, this guide will assist you in navigating the complex market of subscriptions and badges for electric vehicles. Learn whether you should opt for a badge and how to choose the right one to optimize your charging costs and access the broadest network of charging stations.
The DGCCRF has announced that by 2025, it will intensify the regulation of the electric vehicle charging market in order to ensure that consumers with electric vehicles receive clear pricing information and simplified payment methods.
The market features numerous players, and the clarity of offers and pricing still has room for improvement. To maximize the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your charges, it is important to be well-acquainted with the various operators, available subscriptions and badges, as well as the costs and strategies to adopt.
This is why we have created this guide to help you initially decide whether to choose a badge to access a wide network of charging stations at the best price.
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Clarifying the Market: Physical vs. Digital Operators
On one hand, you have physical operators who install and ensure the proper functioning of charging stations. On the other, digital operators provide services related to electric charging.
Some operators offer both physical and digital services, like TotalEnergies and Ionity, which have their own network of charging stations and also offer subscriptions. However, these operators may choose to offer or not offer interoperability on their subscriptions. For example, Tesla and Ionity, which manage their own network of charging stations and offer subscriptions, have limited the pricing benefits offered through their badges to their own network only.
Other operators, like Allego, only manage their own network of charging stations, meaning you would need to go through another digital operator if you wish to charge at an Allego station, pending the widespread adoption of payment through electronic payment terminals (which we’ll explain shortly).
Conversely, digital operators do not always provide physical services. For instance, Chargemap and Plugsurfing, which offer badges, limit their services to access and payment for end users without managing any charging stations themselves.
Subscriptions: Less Expensive Charges but Limited to a Specific Network
Today, most subscriptions guarantee more attractive pricing than the cost of direct charging without a subscription, via credit card. For example, with a subscription from Electra or Ionity, you will enjoy preferential rates, but only at the stations within the Electra or Ionity network.
Badges: Access to a Broad Network of Charging Stations but Without Favorable Rates
Alternatively, with a badge from Izivia, for example, without a subscription, you can access a broader network of charging stations based on the partnerships established by the company.
Using interoperability, these badges allow the use of charging stations from other operators and apply the rates determined by the networks of stations they allow access to, without specific pricing reductions.
However, in interoperability, accessing a charging station belonging to a partner network incurs roaming fees, which are either fixed or variable and included in the final rates indicated by the operators.
So, Is It Worthwhile to Get a Subscription or a Badge If You’re Looking to Access a Broad Network of Charging Stations?
Let’s aim to access a broad network of charging stations with the most advantageous rate.
• Subscriptions offer the most favorable rates but are restricted to a chosen network of charging stations. We will present them in another article.
• A badge allows access to a broad charging network, but roaming fees are generally added, and the badge itself may be payable.
• Payment via electronic payment terminal (TPE), without going through an external operator, is often more financially advantageous than a badge. It avoids the addition of roaming fees to the cost of the charge… but is not available at all stations.
Charging stations installed since April 13, 2024, with a power of 50kWh or more, are already required to be equipped with an electronic payment terminal (TPE). The announcement of intensified DGCCRF controls should accelerate the installation of TPEs on stations. Today, this payment method is already widespread on superchargers installed on French highway areas.
For other stations, located outside the highway network, they will also be required to offer payment via TPE starting in 2027.
The generalization of this payment option at stations will allow users to access more transparency and more honest pricing.
In the meantime, badges remain necessary to enjoy a certain freedom of movement when venturing outside the highway network.
Badges
To guide you in your electric recharge, here are five badges that we have selected and compared for you, based on their cost, possible subscriptions, and the networks of charging stations they provide access to.
Chargemap: A Single Payment Badge to Access the Largest Current Network
ChargeMap offers today’s most comprehensive interoperability and gives access to a network of more than 600 public charging networks, representing over 650,000 charging stations spread across more than 30 European countries. Through its Chargemap Pass, it covers urban areas, rural areas, and highways as well.
The cost of the Chargemap Pass to access the network is EUR 19.90 (one-time payment). No subscription is required, making it accessible without commitment.
Next, the charging rates vary depending on the networks of charging stations used, the power of charge, and the location of the stations. Chargemap does not set the prices but applies the rates determined by the station operators, to which it adds 10% roaming fees. You still have to choose the most interesting station on your journey, which you can do from the app, with rates displayed including Chargemap’s commission.
To avoid roaming fees, Chargemap also offers the Chargemap Boost subscription, at 8.99€/month or 77.90€/year.
Izivia, the Badge With or Without Subscription, With Highly Variable Rates
This public network is managed by EDF and offers charging stations in many cities (soon on 700 McDonald’s parking lots) and on some highways.
The Izivia badge, without subscription, provides access to a set of charging networks (stations from operators like Freshmiles, Powerdot, etc.) with a total of 400,000 charging points in France and Europe.
The current cost of the Izivia badge is EUR 15.
With the Izivia badge, interoperability fees are fixed this time: you will need to count 1€ per charging session, which will generally be more costly than the 10% charged by Chargemap. However, Izivia owns its network of charging stations, on which you will not have roaming fees.
Freshmile: The Pass at 4.99€, for Access to a Broad Network
Freshmile offers a recharge pass, providing access to more than 650,000 public charging points in France and Europe. The pass, at 4.99 EUR, is available in card or keychain format.
Freshmile offers extensive coverage in urban and rural areas, as well as on highways.
However, the details of the pricing practiced by Freshmile and potential roaming fees are not disclosed to us.
Plugsurfing: A Practical Solution for Traveling in Europe but a Less Dense Network
Plugsurfing offers extended interoperability, providing access to more than 300,000 charging stations in 38 European countries. Thanks to its network, Plugsurfing enables travel in urban as well as rural areas, with notable coverage on highways.
Obtaining the Plugsurfing Pass (RFID card or mobile app) is possible for a one-time payment of EUR 9.95. No monthly subscription is required, making it a flexible and accessible option.
The charging rates also vary depending on the networks of stations, the location, and the power of charge. Plugsurfing applies the prices set by the station operators, with, here too, sometimes additional interoperability fees (included in the final price displayed) of about 10% of the recharge price offered by the original operator.
Shell Recharge: The Free Pass
Shell Recharge offers extended interoperability through a network of more than 300,000 charging stations in Europe. With its RFID pass or mobile app, Shell Recharge facilitates the movements of electric drivers, whether on highways, in cities, or in rural areas.
The Shell Recharge Pass is available for free, without subscription or activation fees.
Shell Recharge offsets the free pass with fixed interoperability fees, around 0.35€, applied for each charging session on a station belonging to a partner network. However, the recharge rates are determined by the station operators and displayed in real-time in the app.
Our Final Advice
Now, it’s up to you to choose, or not, to opt for a badge. These badges should remain useful until the generalization of payment via TPE in 2027.
To make your choice, we advise you to opt for badges offering the densest networks of stations. Indeed, their rates depend mainly on the rates offered by the networks of stations, and the differences in roaming fees and the cost of purchasing cards are not significant.
When the option is already possible, however, payment via TPE will avoid these roaming fees.
To Be Continued
In this maze of offers and operators, we are preparing a selection of the best subscriptions to choose from.