July 2024

|Last updated:

July 2024

Navigate the Paris Olympics in an EV!

The 2024 Paris Olympics are fast approaching, and as the City of Light prepares for this global spectacle, it's time to start planning your visit. Paris is not only set to host the world's top athletes but also to showcase a new wave of mobility: electric vehicles.

Last year, France celebrated over 1.5 million electric and hybrid vehicle registrations, aligning perfectly with the 2024 vision of sustainable mobility and a greener Olympic Games.

With the influx of EVs and eco-conscious visitors from around the world, how is Paris gearing up to ensure a seamless, eco-friendly experience? We're here to guide you through everything you need to know to navigate Paris during the iconic games.

Let’s get plugged in…

How does Paris’ charging infrastructure work?

If you're planning to attend the Paris Olympics in an electric vehicle, you'll be excited to know that the city has rolled out an impressive network of charging stations to support your journey. At the heart of this initiative is Belib', a public charging system operated by Total Marketing France. Since its launch in March 2021, Belib has expanded to over 2,000 charging points across 430 locations, including super-speedy options in dedicated car parks.

Belib' stations can juice up your ride with up to 22 kW of power and support various plug types, such as T2, T3, domestic, Combo, and CHAdeMo. This means you'll easily find a spot to plug in and power up.

Belib’ is available on the Electroverse network so you can easily find your nearest charger, start, and pay for a charge- all from your phone!

As you move around the city you will find other charging operators such as Sigief, Sipperec, and Shell Recharge. Each will have their own individual charging speeds and pricing so make sure you are using the Electroverse map to find the best option for you.

Paris 2024’s Electric Mobility Push

Paris 2024 is all about going green for the Olympics and Paralympics. With a big focus on electric and sustainable mobility, they aim to cut the event’s carbon footprint and ensure everyone can get around easily.

Toyota’s Eco-Friendly Support

Teaming up with Toyota, the Paris Olympics will feature around 250 personal electric vehicles, wheelchair e-pushers in the athletes' village, and 250 zero-emission Accessible People Movers (APMs). These will help athletes, organisers, volunteers, and spectators, including those with reduced mobility, move around seamlessly. Using the KINTO Share app, these vehicles will be shared efficiently throughout the event.

Electrifying the Games

Toyota is also providing over 2,650 electrified vehicles, with 150 being wheelchair accessible. Sixty percent of these will be zero-emission, including battery electric and fuel cell vehicles like the Toyota Mirai. This fleet will ensure eco-friendly transport for the Olympic family, athletes, and volunteers.

Enhanced Public Transport with Île-de-France Mobilités

Île-de-France Mobilités is stepping up public transport for the millions of expected spectators. They aim to ensure everyone can reach the venues using public or active transport, in line with Paris 2024’s promises. This effort will benefit residents and visitors long after the Games end.

Paris 2024’s focus on sustainable, electric mobility highlights their commitment to a greener future, leaving a lasting legacy for the city and its people.

Paris’ electric charging infrastructure prep for the Olympics and beyond

As Paris gears up for the Olympics, they’re supercharging the city’s electric vehicle infrastructure. Here’s what they’ve done to make getting around in an EV a breeze:

Charging Station Strategy

Paris is rolling out a top-notch charging station plan:

Safety First: All stations meet the EN IEC 61851 standard, ensuring they’re safe and efficient.
Universal Compatibility: The EV Ready label guarantees that stations work with all major car brands.
Workplace Charging: Thanks to the Mobility Orientation Law (LOM), any parking lot with more than 20 spaces now has charging stations.

Powering Up for the Future

Paris is ahead of the game with some exciting initiatives:

Electra's Expansion: Partnering with Banque des Territoires, Electra is set to install 1,000 ultra-fast charging stations by 2030. You’ll always be within 10 minutes of a charging spot, and you can even reserve a fast charge on-demand.
ADEME’s Incentives: ADEME is pushing for more public charging stations by offering hefty subsidies—up to €105,000 for powerful installations. This makes it easier for companies to join the electric revolution.

With these plans, Paris is set to offer a smooth, green experience for everyone at the Olympics, while also leaving a lasting legacy of sustainable mobility.

Navigating to the games

The summer games will see over 10,000 athletes compete in 329 games in 32 different sports, so as you can imagine there are a lot of venues across the city- and beyond- dedicated to the Olympics from the 26th of July to the 11th of August.

If you’re one of the lucky few that has tickets to an event, or you just want to go along and soak up the atmosphere, we are here to help make sure your EV is fully charged the whole way.

It is worth noting that around the Olympic venues there are restricted zones, these will involve either a complete restriction of motorised vehicles (including EVs), or the regulation on them. Make sure you don't get caught out when driving by checking out the full security document here.

Zone Guide

Red Zone

Complete restriction of any motorised transport unless previously agreed or if they are needed in the running of events at that location

Blue Zone

Regulation of traffic to prevent buildup of traffic

Grey Zone

Event site

La Seine

The Seine River is a 780 km long river that flows through the centre of Paris and links it to the sea. This year the river takes centre stage at the games as it is the venue for the opening ceremony!

The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony is being heralded as the ceremony of firsts. For the first time in the history of the summer olympic games the opening ceremony is being held outside of a stadium. In a ceremony designed by athletes for athletes a parade will take place along the seine river.

Starting at the Austerlitz bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes the river parade will travel east to west for 6km, passing by some of the olympics venues, before coming to a stop for the ceremonies finale at the Trocadéro.

Other events happening on the Seine River:

Marathon swimming
Swimming leg of the triathlon
Road cycling (Pont Alexander III)

As the Seine runs through the centre of Paris you are spoilt for choice with charging options, we have selected three that are within walking distance to the Seine river events:

Pop the addresses above, or click the links directly, into your Electroverse route planner to navigate with ease to the charging location of your choice!

La Concorde

For the 2024 games new and modern events are making an appearance for the first time. The olympic committee wanted to enable urban sports to become established in their natural environment, away from stadiums, at the heart of the city. This idea is perfectly illustrated by the temporary transformation of La Concorde into an open arena.

Events held at La Concorde:

Basketball
Skateboarding
Breaking
Cycling: BMX Freestyle

With so many events happening, plus all of the tourist attractions nearby, you’re sure to have plenty to occupy your time while your EV charges up. Here are some of the nearby points we recommend:

By using the Electroverse route planner you will be able to see if a charger is free before you get there!

Bercy Arena

The Bercy Arena is no stranger to large events, both sporting and otherwise! Recently renovated, the iconic venue is easily identifiable by its pyramid design that stands out from the landscape of Paris’ 12th district. Since its construction, this multi-sports venue has already welcomed more than 30 million spectators at hundreds of events, ranging from athletics to basketball, ice hockey and motocross.

Events held at the Bercy Arena:

Artistic Gymnastics
Trampoline
Basketball

The Bercy Arena is surrounded by a red zone for the duration of the games, meaning no motorised vehicles (including EVs) can enter the perimeter. But never fear! We have picked out three great charge points you can plug into with peace of mind nearby:

By putting your starting charge into the Electroverse route planner you can set off with the peace of mind that your charge will last the whole journey!

Château de Versailles

Initially built as a simple hunting lodge, the Château de Versailles (also known as the Palace of Versailles) was home to the court of Louis XIV in 1682 and became the epicentre of French royalty. In 1883, the site became a national museum open to the public and was the first French site to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979.

Thanks to overlay facilities, certain Paris 2024 events will be staged in a truly exceptional and historic setting at the palace.

Events held at the Château de Versailles:

Equestrian
Modern Pentathlon

If you are setting off from Paris to the Château de Versailles you'll want to make sure you have enough charge for the 37 km journey, it should take you approximately an hour but we recommend you set off earlier just in case!

You’ll find plenty of charging opportunities once you arrive so you can plug in while you enjoy the games, here are our top picks:

Let Electroverse do the hard work for you! Pop your starting charge into the route planner plus where you’re planning to go and we will do the rest!

Invalides

The Esplanade des Invalides is the garden of one of Paris’ most beautiful monuments. The Esplanade is a vast green space in Paris’ 7th district, located opposite the magnificent Hôtel des Invalides. At the heart of Paris, it has become one of the preferred leisure destinations where Parisians and tourists can enjoy some sport, music and walking.

Events held at Invalides:

Archery
Athletics
Road Cycling

To avoid hitting traffic and red zones we have rounded up some chargers that are within walking distance but still situated outside the main hustle and bustle of the games:

If you find that a charger is taken, or an ICE vehicle is parked where it shouldn’t be, pull up the Electroverse map and have a look around your area as there may be a free charger nearby!

Navigating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in an electric vehicle is a fun and eco-friendly adventure waiting to happen! With our handy guide to charging stations and top travel tips, you'll zip around the city with ease and style. Enjoy the thrill of the games and the joy of sustainable travel

Don't forget to check out our guide: Driving an electric vehicle in France.

Also, make sure to take a read of these related blogs:

Has our blog inspired you to take a road trip? We’d love to hear about your EV driving journey! Help us bust those long journey EV misconceptions and share your story here.