Renting electric car to explore Normandy

A Peugeot 208 electric will have limited range at high speeds; you will definitely need to charge between CDG and Normandy. The infrastructure is relatively decent by now, but it is piecemeal: many competing networks, occasional requirement for subscriptions (no direct payment options), some areas are well-covered and others are not.
It is fine if you live here and have time to figure it out, but it seems like a hassle as a tourist.

Check rentals on AutoEurope.com. Highly recommended on this site by numerous travelers. I just picked a few random days in June and Hertz offered 5 vehicles only one of which was electric.

My feeling it could be more hassle than a gas car

99.9999% likely to be true

but I may be wrong.

Probably not.

best price-wise offerings are for electric

Supply/demand economics tells you it is because they are not popular among tourists because of range issues and the recharging challenges.

I had a hybrid last May for the Black Forest area, Alsace region up to Belgium and over to Luxembourg. It was fine. There were a lot of really rural areas I travelled through that made me glad I didn’t have a strictly electric vehicle. Only one of our lodgings had a charging station.

I agree with the statement that an EV would be a hassle for a tourist.

Thanks, everyone. In the end, I decided to rent a gas car - VOLKSWAGEN T CROSS AUTO or similar for two weeks and drive from Paris and return in Nice. They quoted me $642 with taxes and fees from Europcar. It should be sufficient for 2 people and only carry-ons. It may be more expensive than electric or doing everything by train/bus, but in my opinion much less hassle. And I love driving in new locations!

Eugene, when you arrive at the car rental kiosk it's worth asking if a hybrid or diesel is available at the quoted rate. You'll save quite a bit on fuel costs.