Electric cars in France

Visit/download A Better Route Planner. There are EV charging stations everywhere, especially Tesla's. Tesla recently opened their European charging stations to all EVs. Aside from charging stations, lots of hotels and campgrounds have EV charging. In short, there's no need for range anxiety. The Out of Spec Motoring channel on YouTube has a series on their road trip around Norway, what the charging stations are like, amenities available, etc.

Be a bit cautious about Sixt. Make sure that you are fully aware of the actual amount that they will put on your card when you pick up. I went with them once because their price seemed so cheap, but never again. Yes, this was "deposit" money being held and eventually credited back to my card, but in the interim they were taking up a whopping amount of credit. I stick with Hertz because there are never any surprises.

As an American EV owner, I'd suggest that a vacation is not the time to learn about EVs. Besides range anxiety, you have (sometimes) the need to open accounts online with the providers you will encounter, broken stations, broken credit card readers, and even with Tesla, a waiting line for an open space. In the US, smart vendors put their charging at least 500 feet from the Walmart (for example) door, so regular cars don't take the nearby space that the Pilgrims left England over the freedom for.

You need a list of alternate stops, in case the place you expect to charge is broken, closed inside a car dealer, or simply not there.

I don't mean to sound whiny, but these are not manufactured situations. I've seen them all, just between Philadelphia PA and Boothbay Harbor, ME. Note: I know nothing specific about EVs in France.

I agree with Tim. We have had an AE vehicle for over five years. There is a leaning curve, acceptance of limitations, etc associated with driving an AE. You need to worry about a lot of things when renting in Europe -- finding a recharge station should not be one of them. Wait a few more years.

I second being cautious about Sixt. I haven't checked them lately, but they used to quote rates without any sort of damage insurance - only the mandatory third party liability - thus making you liable for the entire value of the car, unless you had your own coverage. And since they tend to rent nice cars (that's their main value proposition), that's... A big liability.
My experiences with them have always been very good, but you need to read the fine print.

And yes, I wouldn't recommend EV rental for a foreigner here. There are many charging station systems to keep track of, it is complicated for the non-initiated.

Check out charging stations along the way. There are apps and websites that can help you. I have a Tesla and when I enter navigation destination, the car tells me where to charge. Most likely any ev you rent would do the same.

https://www.europcar.com/editorial/en/travel-tips/on-charge-where-to-charge-your-electric-rental-car-in-france-497/

We have gone on 2 big trips (1500 miles each this year) and had no problem with range. It’s also nice to get out of the car and relax for a bit. Charging usually takes15-30 min.

Map out where you’re going and check out chargers. I think it would add to your adventure. It’s easy. It’s fun.

We have gone on 2 big trips (1500 miles each this year) and had no problem with range

In France ?

To add some nuance to my previous reply: if you find accommodation that provides a charging station, then the 200-250 km from Paris to the likes of Blois, Amboise or Chenonceau are within the capabilities of most current EVs, and you won't even have to hunt for a charger on the way or in your daily sightseeing.
And if you have to top up, there are charging stations at the motorway services on the A10 out of Paris, as well as at the major supermarkets around Orléans.

Have a look at Tesla's map of superchargers in France. Just eyeballing it, you're never more than 100km from one. And that's not counting other DC fast-chargers or destination chargers.

Thanks all. Good information. As a dedicated cheapskate the low price is attractive. Sounds like the downsides are going to win the day for me. This was just a first glance at the options. Car rentals (in the recent past) have been very expensive so I was looking to see if they were outrageous or just "normal". I was shocked at the pricing but thought in the back of my mind this is a teaser rate & they will make it up on the back end. Thanks for the heads up on Sixt. I'll be cautious

is a car preferable in the Loire Valley? Or can you get by with bus & Uber?

Mark, the simple answer is that a car is preferable in the Loire. We need first-hand information about your Uber question that I cannot provide.

But because I'm prejudiced against Uber, I will comment that some city dwellers think it is the solution to all their needs-even when it costs more than Medallion Taxi! But when distances are large, and a return-fare (that is, revenue-miles rather than empty-miles) is unlikely, that is an illusion. It is also an open question how Uber's reliance on loose (or, evaded) regulation in America fares in European Social Democracies, where workers have a lot more rights.

Cameron Hewitt has a new blog post on electric cars in Italy. Essentially everything I was worried/warned about here. (LOL) Range anxiety, finding charging stations & willy make it concerns. I laughed I cried, It was better than Cats!

https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/2022/11/ev-europe-road-trip/