Exclusive ! BeLib : Paris installs its New EV Charging Service

You all heard about about Velib, then Autolib, now there will be Belib in Paris very soon !

Update : Paris Nov 21, 2015 : All Charging Standards Available ! 

More details on my Facebook Page

Update : Paris Nov 14, 2015 : More details on my Facebook Page

I have been charging my EVs here for the last 4 years now


So after seeing the removal of my usual Paris city hall Charging Station (from the 90's) few weeks ago, construction including underground wiring, I knew something EV related was going on there

These last two days, I have seen major improvements there and the charging stations are installed now, and covered to hide & protect them from curious people - like me :) - 

From the stickers on the covers, I can see they are from a French company called COMATELEC SCHREDER and built in Spain by its sister company SCHREDER SOGELEC

They are specialized in street lights from what I can see on their website but are also offering an innovative street light post that can hold EV charging outlets

Apparently they are starting with this site only for now, as a flagship one because it is right behind Paris city hall .... and other old green charging stations (from DBT) are still up and running


They will have 3 types of outlet including an accelerated charge one, at 22kW:
- one regular : 230V single phase at 8A giving 2kW
- one type 3 (our French standard, which will be changed to type 2, European standard (or Mennekes)) : 230V single phase at 16A giving 3.7kW
- one accelerated charging (same as above) : 400V 3-phase at 32A giving 22kW

Originally forecasted for the end of 2015, and with 180 charging stations (now only 60), the project has been delayed by the Architectes des Batiments de France (ABF) because the original charging stations were to massive and too high, blocking the view of beautiful Parisian buildings ...



Now they are of regular size and well under construction, I think this particular site is ready !





We should see the major Anne Hidalgo come outside her office and inaugurate them soon :)

Velib & Autolib: Paris Bike And EV-Sharing Programs

A good video about Velib & Autolib

Before Autolib, there was Velib, Paris' Bike Rental Service

Here we are, again close to where I work, in Saint-Ouen, to take a close look at Paris & surrounding cities Bike Rental Service called Velib. 

First the name Velib stands for Velo (Bicycle) + Liberte (Liberty) and is a contraction of these two words meaning "The Liberty Bike" which is kind of nice I think

The city of Paris started it all in 2007 and JC Decaux a major advertising company is providing all the bikes & maintenance service, against some free advertising spots in the city; Others cities around Paris also joined the mouvement and it is now a big network of stations that prooved to be very usefull.

In the following pictures you can see a typical station of Velib, where bikes are locked waiting on the sidewalk, ready to go onto the street, using an RFid transport card (also used for Metro & Bus) to be swipped on top of each anchor point. If you don't have this card, you just go to the main unit and using a credit card rent a bike with a temporary ticket for half an hour (free) , one hour (1 EUR) , an hour and a half (3 EUR) or more (each half hour after the first hour adds 4 EUR) 

The idea here is to use a bike to go somewhere (and not using a car or taxi) and leave it a a station close to where you arrive, not to keep it all day long, otherwise it would cost you a lot !

 The main reservation unit, a bit similar to the one for Autolib: