Fast food chain McDonald’s has partnered with French electricity company EDF to install electric car charging points at their restaurants across France. By 2025, there will be 2,000 charging points in the car parks of 700 McDonald’s locations in France.
The rollout has already begun in cities like Noisy-le-Grand on the outskirts of Paris. The charging stations, provided by EDF’s subsidiary Izivia, will offer 150 kilowatts of power, enabling fast charging for most electric cars.
It will take around 20 minutes to recharge a vehicle to 80% capacity. This allows drivers to have a coffee or a meal during the charging process. Customers can conveniently pay for their charging sessions using a bank card, fob, or a smartphone QR code.
In order to minimize CO2 emissions, the charging points will be supplied by green energy sources like wind and solar.
Over the course of the 12-year Izivia-McDonald’s partnership, it’s estimated that the charging stations will provide power for approximately 9.4 billion kilometers. This will result in a saving of 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
McDonald’s is also installing charging points in Italy, Sweden, and the UK.
Public EV charging in France
Over the past four years, the French government has taken steps to increase the number of electric charging points throughout the country. According to The Connexion, there are now more than 110,000 public charging points installed nationwide.
Under the government’s latest mobility act, known as the loi d’orientation des mobilités (LOM), businesses with more than 20 car parking spaces are required to install at least one charging point. The government’s goal is to have 400,000 public charging points by 2030.
France’s EV charging network is expected to rapidly expand in the coming years. Gas-powered car sales will be outlawed in France starting in 2035.
Analysis
McDonald’s installation of fast chargers at its French locations will give it a significant competitive advantage. Currently, only 10% of EV charging stations in France are considered fast chargers.
EV drivers looking for a fast charge could end up becoming regular McDonald’s customers.
In the United States, fast food chain Taco Bell reported an increase in sales after installing fast chargers at 120 restaurants in California.
Image Source: Jaan of the EV Universe
