Driving through France to Provence

[Bodgerx]

They have the way now. Since about 4 yrs ago all the registration systems of the various EU countries were linked up, except for the UK.

I was sent two automated tickets through the post from my Sept 2019 trip to Italy through France.

Landed on my letter box in the Uk from France 2 weeks after I had done 95kmh in a 90 and 64kmh in a 60 construction zone. Both automated systems.

 

[Thebiglad]

That's very interesting if unfortunate, Bodger.

 

[MichaelJHunt]

That's very interesting if unfortunate, Bodger.

I was sent two automated tickets through the post from my Sept 2019 trip to Italy through France.

Landed on my letter box in the Uk from France 2 weeks after I had done 95kmh in a 90 and 64kmh in a 60 construction zone. Both automated systems.

Do you get points on your licence?

 

[Bodgerx]

Do you get points on your licence?

Nope, no points, just paid it.

Thing is the construction zones where I was hit had a crazy amount of speed changes and I was using cruise to set the speed and I was pretty sure I was under the limit all the time

 

[ChrisT]

And we are off.

Going to post charging and car experiences here for the journey.

So first leg is Humberside to Newhaven stopping overnight in Milton Keynes

First charge Trowell Services Friday 16.00ish drove straight onto Gridserve charger , both chargers working and seem to be a new design though still with the same software that goes through connecting testing etc.

Price per kwh 48p.

Miles per kwh 4.7.

Travelled at 60mph with gadgets turned off and air con on a modest 2 bars. Two suitcases and 5 cuddly toys with 3 persons on-board.

Thanks to the HGV drivers who broke wind for us, nope that's not right, who acted as wind breaks for us.

 

[ChrisT]

BP pulse/ chargemaster/polar in Milton Keynes. Lots of chargers available and now this cpy is tap and go.

Very easy but 50p per kwh though that gets free parking.

Quick to start charge, none of the Gridserve polava of checking if its an even number date, waiting waiting okay charging.

Still maxed at 4.7 miles per kwh.

 

[ChrisT]

Brighton London Road multi storey free to charge on a 7 kW charger. Wai hai wasn't expecting free electricity so early on.

Really impressed with car summer range with air con on.

 

[nwarddrfc]

Following along all the best

 

[ChrisT]

Good old Lidl and first use of Chargemap RFD.

Tap and charge.

Rate .275 Euro per kwh so cheap for us Brits.


Not seeing a lot of ev's around Rouen.

 

[ChrisT]

Went into Low Emission Zone in Rouen so glad we have critair sticker

 

[slmorgan42]

Went into Low Emission Zone in Rouen so glad we have critair sticker

How did you apply for the Critair sticker?

Apologies for a question a little off topic

 

[ChrisT]

How did you apply for the Critair sticker?

Apologies for a question a little off topic

Le site officiel de la vignette Crit'Air (certificat qualité de l'air) - Ministère de la Transition écologique

Le seul site officiel à délivrer la vignette Crit'Air (certificat qualité de l'air), établie en fonction des émissions polluantes du véhicule.

www.certificat-air.gouv.fr

Click on menu option top right to change to english

 

[ChrisT]

Service station Totalenergies 40 cents per minute.

Have tried getting to some 22kw chargers in towns but such a time waste when they are out of order or hard to find.

 

[MichaelJHunt]

Service station Totalenergies 40 cents per minute.

Have tried getting to some 22kw chargers in towns but such a time waste when they are out of order or hard to find.

You will only get 7kW in the MG.

 

[ChrisT]

So two service station chargers south of Orleans and both out of order but luckily there was a Tesla station open to all.

Tesla envy!

France feels a little behind us for non Teslas when it comes to chargers. Not many rapids at all, missing Instavolts at Mcdonalds.

Rfid cards are a must and only used Chargemaster so far.

We parked on the wrong side of the charger as should be on left as teslas reverse in with connector on left.

Disappointed that hotels on route have no charging points so presume that as they are newish there is not building regs to have a charger fitted.

 

[Deleted member 6627]

Good old Lidl and first use of Chargemap RFD.

Tap and charge.

Rate .275 Euro per kwh so cheap for us Brits.


Not seeing a lot of ev's around Rouen.

Confusing with that one round the back of the shop.... and the 22kw chargers round the front. Even more confusing when electric juice doesn't tell you it is the lidl charger. And even more confusing when there are dozens of 7kw chargers in the commercial area down the road.

Great cheap price though.

 

[ChrisT]

Moved on from Moulins to Saint Etienne mainly because there were lots of rapid chargers there. However quite a few bankrupt you with a penalty charge if you stay over 30 mins but found one in a shopping Mall where they had 4 rapids and all working.

Then onto Montelimar to a Tesla SCS and kept to the toll roads.

Avignon had an Ionity Rapid station of at least 4 chargers with similar set up to Tesla where the charging machinery was in a separate area.

We will head back up on the tolls probably using the Tesla chargers as far as we can. Just easier.

 

[IanMG]

Hey
My mum lives in Dieppe and we do that ferry run a lot. It’s a lovely small ferry great for getting to Normandy. I hate Calais and never go via it anymore.

I am still waiting for my ZS to arrive but I have checked and there are a few chargers in Dieppe.
Dieppe is also worth a day lovely restaurants and fresh caught sea food.

Hope this helps.

Totally agree about Dieppe, a lovely fishing town with superb restaurants and other attractions. It normally gets missed as you leave the ferry and drive away from the town up the hill.
I turn sharp right and follow that road round to the fishing port. Over the iron swing bridge and you are in proper France!

When I drive back from my retirement house in the Dordogne, I book a hotel and stay overnight before the 11am ferry the next day.
I worked out that the extra time driving to Folkestone/Dover from West Sussex and the drive back on the other side to Rouen, waas 15 mins longer than taking the 4 hour ferry from Newhaven, and judging by this year NO traffic jams anywhere near Newhaven!

As for chargers in Dieppe, there are some municipal ones as well as ones round the back of Auchan and of course two free ones in Lidl on the outskirts of Dieppe.
Beware the ChaDeMo loving French! The first time I took the I-Pace EDF had turned of all the motorway 50Kw CCS chargers because of a fire in two of them.
The amazing thing was I found a French parfum company outside of Orleans that ran electric vans and they let me charge the car. They would not accept any payment! Next stop was Chateauroux and LeClerc who have free 50Kw charging when the store is open. Total cost for that trip down, ZERO!
The trip back wasn't much more expensive as Ionity had the 'all you can eat' deal for £8! It bis 390 miles door to Dieppe so one charge did it for the I-Pace. Overnight at the hotel with free Lidl charging next door and I boarded the ferry with a full charge!

As a general rule, the French use Electric vehicles for local journeys, most EVs you see on the motorway are Teslas. That's the French, not the Dutch, who like us, use EVs for all their journeys, long and short.
It is changing albeit slowly. Total are opening charging stations as on the ring road around Chartres, but there is a long way to go.

 

[ChrisT]

'And finally' we got to use the Tough Lead at the camp site which takes the pressure off though my first impressions are that Provence is more geared up for ev charging than further north with quite a few zoes driving around and chargers available.

'And Finally Finally' I didnt have to wear the budgie smugglers at the pool which was a relief for the locals.

 

[Coulomb]

'And Finally Finally' I didn't have to wear the budgie smugglers at the pool which was a relief for the locals.

? How was swimming nude in the pool a relief for the locals?