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Updated on 13 November 2026
- To charge your electric car, the simplest option is to do it where it is already parked: at the office, at home or at the hotel. This is the principle of destination charging.
- In September 2026, 42% of new cars registered in France were electric according to the PFA, and the number of electric cars sold more than doubled in one year.
- At home, 100 km in an electric car costs around €3.60 on the August 2026 regulated tariff, compared with around €14 for diesel at the 12 October 2026 price, recorded before the interview was broadcast.
- Speaking on BFM Business on 23 October 2026, Serge Subiron, President of Qovoltis, presented this model: charging while the vehicle is parked, rather than making a detour as you would to a petrol station.
To charge your electric car, the simplest option is to do it where it is already parked: in the company car park, at home or at the hotel. This is the message of Serge Subiron, President of Qovoltis, a guest on BFM Business on 23 October 2026. For a fleet manager, an employee or a hotelier, this choice determines the budget, the time spent charging and the service provided to the driver. Here are the key takeaways from the interview, with verified figures.
Your fleet is already parked at the office and at home
Qovoltis equips your company car park and your employees' homes, and automates the reimbursement of home charging at actual cost. Response within 48 hours.
What does Serge Subiron, President of Qovoltis, say on BFM Business?
On BFM Business, Serge Subiron, President of Qovoltis, explains that electric cars do not need to copy the petrol station model: they should charge where they already stop, at work, at home or at the hotel. This model is called destination charging. It is Qovoltis' core business, as a charging operator for companies, hotels and leisure sites.
The interview was broadcast on 23 October 2026 in a short programme on BFM Business, presented by Jérôme Tichit. The starting point: with the number of electric vehicles rising sharply, how can charging stations be developed in the right places?
Qovoltis, a French company founded in 2019, describes itself as "first and foremost a destination charging operator". The company handles the entire charging project: site audit, installation, commissioning, remote supervision and maintenance. In October 2026, Qovoltis has 3,500 active charging stations across 1,300 sites.
"The idea is to charge where you already stop."
Serge Subiron, President of Qovoltis, on BFM Business
Why are electric cars selling so well in France?
Electric cars are selling first and foremost because fuel is expensive: Serge Subiron, President of Qovoltis, sees this as the main reason for the boom. Regulation, which supports these new uses, also plays a part. As a result, sales more than doubled in one year, driven by private buyers and by companies electrifying their fleets.
How many electric cars are sold in France?
In September 2026, 42% of new passenger cars registered in France were electric, according to the French automotive industry association (PFA), or around 65,800 cars out of 156,629. In September 2025, 31,756 electric cars were registered, a 22.6% market share, according to the Avere-France barometer. The volume of electric cars sold therefore more than doubled in one year, as Serge Subiron said on air.
Are companies switching to electric cars?
Yes: in September 2026, more than 43% of passenger cars delivered to company fleets in France were fully electric, according to the Arval Mobility Observatory. Serge Subiron points out that this widespread adoption by companies is one of the drivers of growth in the electric car market.
Is driving an electric car cheaper than diesel?
Yes: charging at home, 100 km in an electric car costs around €3.60 on the August 2026 regulated electricity tariff, compared with around €14 for diesel at the 12 October 2026 price. On BFM Business, Serge Subiron gives the same order of magnitude: €3 to €5 per 100 km at home or at work, compared with €15 for diesel.
On 12 October 2026, eleven days before the interview was broadcast on BFM Business, diesel cost an average of €2.33 per litre in France, according to the European Commission's Weekly Oil Bulletin.
| Charging location or energy | Energy price (incl. VAT) | Cost per 100 km* |
|---|---|---|
| Home, regulated tariff, off-peak hours (August 2026) | €0.1589/kWh | around €2.90 |
| Home, regulated tariff, Base option (August 2026) | €0.2001/kWh | around €3.60 |
| Qovoltis charging station (hotel, campsite, golf course), most common rate | €0.49/kWh | around €8.80 |
| Public charging station, depending on power and operator (2026) | €0.38 to €0.85/kWh | around €6.80 to €15.30 |
| Diesel (France average on 12 October 2026) | €2.33/L | around €14 |
*Calculation assumptions: 18 kWh per 100 km for an electric car and 6 L per 100 km for a diesel car. Excluding subscriptions and any connection fees. Regulated electricity tariffs in force since 1 August 2026, as proposed by the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE). Public charging price range: ENGIE, 2026, as cited in our article on workplace charging stations (updated on 6 November 2026).
At home, charging costs around four times less than diesel for the same distance. On a high-power public charging station, however, the cost can match or even exceed that of diesel. For a detailed breakdown of prices, see our article on electric vehicle charging costs.
Where should you charge your electric car?
The best place to charge your electric car is where it is already parked for several hours: the company car park during the day, at home at night, or at the hotel, campsite or golf course during a stay. Serge Subiron mentions these three destinations on BFM Business. Rapid chargers remain useful for long journeys.
What is destination charging?
Destination charging means charging an electric vehicle while it is parked at a place where the driver stops anyway (workplace, home, hotel), rather than making a detour to a charging station. It is the opposite of the petrol station model.
On BFM Business, Serge Subiron sums it up: the idea is not to replicate the petrol station model, "where you go out of your way to charge somewhere you would not have stopped".
Destination charging most often uses "normal power" charging points, with an output of 22 kW or less as defined by Article 2 of French Decree No. 2017-26 of 12 January 2017. An 11 kW charging station adds around 60 km of range per hour of charging (calculated on the basis of 18 kWh per 100 km), within the limits of the vehicle's on-board charger.
Can you charge your electric car at work?
Yes: charging your electric car in the company car park means the fleet can charge during working hours, without taking vehicles off the road. Equipping car parks is also subject to obligations set by the French Mobility Orientation Law (LOM).
With Qovoltis, a company car park is commissioned in less than 60 days. The charging stations are supervised from the Qockpit platform, which lets you track each session, set the rate or offer free charging to selected employees.
How do you charge a company car at home?
To charge a company car at home, the company equips the employee's home with a charging station, then reimburses the energy used at actual cost. Qovoltis installs a charging station at the employee's home within 30 days. Home charging is also the cheapest option, at around €3.60 per 100 km on the August 2026 regulated tariff (Base option).
The energy used at home is metered by the charging station: the company avoids approximate flat-rate allowances and has supporting documents in the event of an audit.
Can you charge your electric car at a hotel, campsite or golf course?
Yes: a hotel, campsite or golf course equipped with charging stations lets you charge your electric car overnight or during a round of golf, without a detour. One night at a hotel easily covers the roughly 5 hours needed to charge a 50 kWh battery on an 11 kW charging station.
Qovoltis offers hotels, campsites and golf courses a third-party investment model: the operator finances, installs, supervises and maintains the charging stations, and the establishment receives a commission on each charging session paid for by its customers. Drivers pay for their charging.
Do you still need rapid chargers on the road?
Yes, for long journeys: rapid chargers, with an output of more than 22 kW, remain useful when drivers need to charge during a trip. For everyday journeys, destination charging meets the need at a lower cost: at home, 100 km costs around €3.60, compared with up to €15.30 at a public charging station.
What does destination charging change for companies and hoteliers?
For a company, destination charging reduces the time employees lose and the fleet's cost per kilometre, with spending metered charging station by charging station. For a hotelier, it adds a service with no upfront investment.
On the fleet side, a single provider equips the head office car park and each driver's home, with centralised supervision in Qockpit.
On the hospitality and leisure side, the establishment provides parking spaces and Qovoltis finances, installs and maintains the charging stations, with no technical management required from the establishment.
In October 2026, Qovoltis has 3,500 active charging stations across 1,300 sites in France, serving both companies and the hospitality and leisure sector.
FAQ
Where can you charge your electric car for free?
You can charge your electric car for free in your company car park, if your employer chooses to offer free charging to employees. Until 31 December 2027, free charging provided at the workplace is not a benefit-in-kind in France, including for employees' personal cars (Order of 25 February 2025 and the Bulletin officiel de la sécurité sociale). At Qovoltis charging stations in hotels, campsites and golf courses, drivers pay for charging, most often €0.49 per kWh, and the rate is displayed before charging starts.
Can I charge my electric car from a standard household socket?
Yes, an electric car can be charged from a household socket using a Mode 2 charging cable. However, power is limited to 2.3 kW, sometimes 1.8 kW, which means 15 to 25 hours of charging for a standard battery. For daily charging, a dedicated charging station is more suitable.
What is Qovoltis?
Qovoltis is a French destination charging operator founded in 2019. The company equips company car parks, employees' homes and hospitality and leisure establishments, from site audit to charging station supervision. In October 2026, Qovoltis has 3,500 active charging stations across 1,300 sites in France.
Your guests already stop at your establishment
Hotel, campsite or golf course: Qovoltis finances, installs and maintains your charging stations, and you receive a commission on every charging session. Free eligibility study within 48 hours.
Key takeaways
- For everyday charging, the simplest option is to charge your electric car where it already stops: at the office, at home or at the hotel.
- In September 2026, 42% of new cars registered in France were electric, and their number more than doubled in one year.
- Charging at home costs around €3.60 per 100 km, compared with around €14 for diesel at the 12 October 2026 price.
- Destination charging most often uses charging stations of 22 kW or less, which are sufficient when the vehicle stays parked for several hours; rapid chargers remain useful for long journeys.
- Qovoltis, a destination charging operator, has 3,500 active charging stations across 1,300 sites in France.
Further reading
- Charging stations for companies and their fleets
- Electric vehicle charging costs: kWh rates and fees
- Benefit in kind for electric vehicles and charging stations
- Type 2 socket: definition, power and compatibility
- Home charging stations for employees
- Corporate fleet electrification: the complete guide
- Third-party investment for hotel charging stations
- LOM law: EV charging station obligations
Sources and references
- BFM Business: interview with Serge Subiron, President of Qovoltis, broadcast on 23/10/2026 (YouTube, in French)
- French new car market in September 2026, PFA figures (AFP, in French)
- Avere-France: electric vehicle registration barometer, September 2025 (in French)
- Company fleets in September 2026, Arval Mobility Observatory data (Bevolt, in French)
- European Commission: Weekly Oil Bulletin (fuel prices)
- AFP: average diesel price in France in the European oil bulletin of 15/10/2026 (in French)
- CRE: Deliberation No. 2026-147 on regulated electricity tariffs as of 1 August 2026 (in French)
- EDF: regulated tariffs as of 1 August 2026, prices incl. VAT (in French)
- Bulletin officiel de la sécurité sociale (BOSS): benefits in kind, § 930 (in French)
- Order of 25 February 2025 on the valuation of benefits in kind, Article 4, 1° (Légifrance, in French)
- Decree No. 2017-26 of 12 January 2017 on electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Article 2, version in force since 6 May 2021 (Légifrance, in French)
Article written in November 2026. Information checked at the date of publication. Fuel and electricity prices change regularly; costs per 100 km are estimates based on the stated assumptions.
