Fuel prices: a drop that suits holidaymakers?

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On the eve of a weekend of cross-country travel, fuel prices are electrifying vacationers. At a gas station on the highway near Montpellier, filling up is always a dreaded moment. " Soon, we'll be taking out a loan to fill up with gas. It's almost 2 euros, we're not far off 2 euros, so I admit it's quite expensive ," says a driver at the gas pump.

Yet, in recent years, fuel prices have dropped. In two years, a liter of unleaded 95 has gone down by 20 cents, and diesel by 22 cents. For a 50-liter tank, that's €10 less for gasoline, and €11 less for diesel. Enough to make electric vehicle drivers miss their old combustion engine? Not really. " It's still largely economical and costs a lot less than when I used to drive gasoline ," says one electric car user. " I'm glad I'm not too dependent on the constantly fluctuating price of a barrel, while the price of electricity is a little more stable ," adds another.

So what's the real story? We've checked the prices at our Montpellier-Rennes station. For 100 km, with an unleaded vehicle, the figure is just over €12. Diesel costs €9.10, and fast-charging an electric vehicle costs €10.54. This rate can be three times higher than charging at home. According to forecasts, this decline in fuel prices is expected to continue.

" The price of oil could still fall a little, given the increase in production announced by a number of producing countries. It might not be surprising to find unleaded 95 petrol at around €1.50 per litre before the end of the summer ," explains Philippe Chalmin, professor of economic history at Paris-Dauphine University. This is good news for motorists' wallets, but less good for the environment.