What factors influence the cost of a
charging station?
It's hard to put a precise price tag on the cost of installing a charging station in a company. The average budget is between between €1,300 and €9,000 for the deployment of an IRVE( Electric VehicleCharging Infrastructure ). In reality, several factors are likely to have an impact on the costs to be incurred: the specific characteristics of the equipment itself, the constraints linked to the installation and the options subscribed to. Let's take a look at each one in turn.
Charging station features
From reinforced sockets to totem bollards, there's a wide variety of equipment to choose from. Prices can vary from a few hundred to several thousand euros, depending on the following features:
- Terminal power: 7.4 kW, 11 kW, 22 kW for normal to accelerated charging terminals, or from 22 kW to over 120 kW for fast charging terminals. A proper assessment of the power required will enable you to budget your project as accurately as possible, bearing in mind that price differences are more significant between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) equipment. There are no significant price differences between 7.4 kW, 11 kW and 22 kW charging stations.
- The number of charging connectors per terminal (one to two charging points).
- Equipment features: remote communication, connected terminal, etc.
Good to know: it is also important to pay attention to the certifications that guarantee the compatibility of charging equipment with electric vehicles, such as the Z.E. Ready and E.V. Ready which cover both infrastructure and compliance with installation standards.
Price ideas based on charging station models
- Terminal with one charge point
- Power: 3.7 to 22 kW
- Plug: type 2
- From €600 ex-VAT (excluding installation) for a non-connected plug-and-charge terminal, and around €900 ex-VAT (excluding installation) for a connected terminal.
For what uses?
One or two electric vehicles (utility, company car). Low to moderate rotation. Full vehicle charge during the day or night.
- Terminal with 2 charging points
- Power: 22 kW
- Connected
- Expect to pay between €3,300 and €4,000 plus VAT (excluding installation), depending on the brand.
For what uses?
Greater vehicle rotation. Two vehicles can be connected simultaneously. Full charge during the day, between trips.
- Totem-type fast or ultra-fast charging stations
- Power: 22 kW, 30 kW, 60 kW, 120 kW, 180 kW
- With RFID card access control and one or two charging points
- Between €6,000 ex-VAT and €70,000 ex-VAT (excluding installation)
The most powerful equipment, corresponding more to public charging stations, is oversized for the needs of small and medium-sized businesses.
Of course, costs also depend on the number of terminals to be installed. That's why it's essential to estimate your project as accurately as possible beforehand, as we'll see below.
Installation costs
There is no fixed price for installing an electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The cost of labor depends on a number of technical factors.
Existing electrical installation
In some cases, retrofitting may be necessary. This may entail additional costs, but is imperative in order to guarantee the safety of your employees. The type of electrical system used, or "neutral system", must also be checked:
- TT (earthed on the transformer and user sides),
- IT (isolated from earth on the transformer side and earthed on the user side) or
- TN (earthed on the transformer side and neutral on the user side).
For example, the IT neutral regime may require the addition of an isolation transformer when charging certain vehicles.
Installation site configuration
A large distance between the bollard and the electricity meter may require civil engineering workand the installation of a longer, and therefore more expensive, recharging cable. In indoor parking lots, bollards are generally wall-mounted. Outdoors, stand-mounted bollards are preferred, which means additional civil engineering work.
The number of charging points
Of course, installing a single IRVE does not have the same financial impact as deploying a dozen or so charging points. On the other hand, the more charge points you install, the lower the cost. For example, if you install a double chargepoint, the installation of a second chargepoint of the same type enables you to mutualize the cost of the work, with a possible reduction in expenses of the order of 20 to 40%.
Good to know: The installation of a charging station must be carried out by a technician with the IRVE qualification. This certification proves that the electrician is qualified to install an electric vehicle charging station in compliance with safety standards.
Optional contracts: supervision and maintenance
In addition to equipment and installation costs, you need to factor in the costs of supervision and maintenance costs into the initial budget. Although these options are optional, they can greatly facilitate the management of your equipment and extend its lifespan.
The price of a maintenance contract can be calculated according to the number of bollards or the site. The cost is between €250 and €600 (excl. VAT) per bollard per year. It includes on-site intervention by a certified electrician in the event of breakdowns or malfunctions, as well as an annual maintenance visit.
Visit supervision service (also known as a billing tool) lets you control your charging stations from an online platform. This can be used to retrieve consumption data, implement RFID badges to secure charging stations, or restrict access to company users only. The cost of the supervision service is determined for each bollard or charge point. It varies according to the needs defined upstream: reimbursement of recharges made by employees, assistance service or dedicated hotline, etc. The cost of a billing tool is between €5 and €10 per month, per charge point.
The maintenance contract is billed by the year, while the supervision service can be paid for on a monthly or annual basis.
Preparing your terminal installation project
Installing charging stations in your company is a project that requires a minimum of preparation. Indeed, to fully meet your employees' expectations, but also take into account your budgetary constraints, you need to choose the right equipment.
The first step to a successful charging station rollout is to ask yourself the right questions:
About your employees' needs:
- Are my employees nomadic or sedentary? This question helps determine whether a full recharge is feasible during office hours, or whether, on the contrary, regular travel requires a quick recharge between comings and goings.
- How much time is allocated to business travel (deliveries, customer meetings, sales prospecting)?
- How many electric vehicles (vans or company cars) do I have in my fleet?
Technical specifications:
- What is my contract power? How much power do I have?
- Where will my bollards be installed (in an outdoor or underground parking lot, in a garage, etc.)? This question is important to anticipate any additional installation costs associated with a location far from the electrical panel.
Answering these questions will help you define the type of equipment you need, both in terms of power and functionality.
Charging stations: what return on investment?
Companies wishing to do so can amortize the cost of installing one or more terminals. In particular, it is possible to charge for recharging by certain groups of users to make the equipment profitable.
Different billing models can be set up to suit your short-term or long-term objectives.
- Visit flat-rate billing Flat-rate billing: easy to deploy, as it is uncorrelated with notions of time or energy actually consumed, it does not automatically distinguish between groups of users (visitors, employees and customers, for example). The charges levied are not always fair, and users are not encouraged to vacate the terminal immediately after recharging.
- Visit time-based billing Time-based charging: this makes for smoother access to charging stations, as users do not exceed the time allotted for recharging, thus avoiding overcharging. On the other hand, certain categories of users (slow rechargers) are penalized.
- Visit kWh billing This billing method is similar to that used for gas pumps, in that the user only pays for the energy consumed. It requires the implementation of a rebilling tool to evaluate the cost of consumption (this is also the case for time-based billing).
The charging station supervision system Beev's charging station supervision system is the ideal solution for automatic user invoicing, user profiling, consumption monitoring, remote access to charging station availability, and optimal visibility of charging point search applications. All this information is centralized and accessible via an intuitive intuitive dashboard.
How much does it cost to rent a charging station?
Is there a way to develop eco-mobility within your company on a limited budget? The answer is "yes", thanks to rental of charging stations. This service enables you to install an IRVE without incurring substantial costs, by paying a monthly rent. monthly rent for the duration of the contract (between 3 and 5 years).
Under a LOA (Location avec Option d'Achat) contract, the company has the option of purchasing the terminal at the end of the contract, or even benefiting from a more recent piece of equipment. If the company does not wish to purchase the equipment, the operator is responsible for de-installing and recovering it at the end of the contract. It's a highly flexible service.
Would you like to find out more about Beev's charging station rental offers?
Here's an example of a calculation based on our simulation tool, for an equipment project estimated at €5,000 excluding VAT. The commitment period is 5 years, or 60 months, with an initial rental payment of €1,312.50. You receive monthly payments of €20.59. This price is calculated on the basis of a flat rate that is independent of energy consumption.
Depending on the package, you can benefit from maintenance and supervision services. supervisionwhich may or may not be included in the monthly payments.
With Beevrenting a high-quality charging station is accessible, simple and affordable. Calculate your rent now or request a no-obligation quote.
Discover your financial aid with our simulator!
Need to find out about financial assistance for your recharging solution? Use our project simulator to find out how you can reduce the cost of purchasing and installing charging stations.
Financing assistance
While the French government has set up a number of schemes to support sustainable mobility for businesses in response to ecological and economic challenges, the grants and subsidies available to professionals are subject to regular change.
Launched in 2016 for a limited period (until June 30, 2020), the ADVENIR program has been extended until the end of 2025. This scheme, which aims to defray part of the costs incurred by companies in installing charging stations, stands out for its strict award conditions. As of January 2023, the following provisions apply:
- The program Charging point open to the public in private parking lots program is maintained, with a subsidy raised to 30% of the cost of the project, capped at €1,000 excl. tax for AC (alternating current) charging points and €2,700 excl. tax for a DC (direct current) charging point.
- The initial program dedicated to private parking lots not accessible to the public (fleets and employees) has been discontinued. The Charging point for fleets and employees of automotive service professionals offers a specific subsidy for automotive service professionals. This subsidy can be seen as a "catch-up", since the initial subsidy did not include this category. The grant amounts to 25% of the total project cost, up to a maximum of €750 (excl. VAT) per recharging point.
Don't hesitate to get in touch with your local authority, as some regions have set up grants for companies wishing to acquire and install charging stations. This is particularly true of :
- Program to support the installation of recharging stations for businesses in the Grand Est region,
Normandy region's "Sustainable mobility" program, - The Occitanie region's "Flexitanie" program.
Every charging infrastructure project is unique. That's why our team is there to support you, from estimating your budget to choosing your equipment, then deploying it and beyond!
