25 year smart offer: €3,000 discount on smart #3 and €4,000 on smart #1, all trim levels and options.

Installing a charging station on your premises

Company charging station

More and more companies are choosing to add electric vehicles to their fleets. This raises the question of recharging. How do you recharge electric cars in the workplace? Are charging stations compatible with all electric vehicles? How much does it cost toinstall recharging stations in a company, and are there any subsidies available?

Table of contents

Business charging stations

Get my quote

Why install a recharging point on your premises?

While it is possible to recharge an electric vehicle using a standard power socket, it takes a very long time (around 40 hours to recharge a Tesla Model 3) and can be dangerous due to the risk of overheating the socket and electrical cables. In fact, this practice is prohibited in Nordic countries, as the risk of overheating is too high.

Business charging stations recharge up to 10 times faster than a standard socket, in complete safety. 

Installing a charging station on your company premises enables you to recharge the vehicles in your electric fleet, support your employees in their transition to green mobility and offer a recharging solution to your customers. 

For ERP (establishments that receive the public) such as stores, hotels and restaurants, installing recharging stations helps to attract new customers and retain customers with electric cars. 

What type of recharging point should be installed on your premises?

Today's charging stations are all equipped with a Type 2 plug for normal charging or a CCS plug for fast charging, the European standards for electric vehicle charging. The charging station you install will therefore be compatible with all electric cars on the market. Some charging stations also offer EF sockets for other rechargeable vehicles, such as hybrids, scooters and electric scooters.

A charging station installed in a company is subject to intense use, so it's important to choose robust equipment from recognized brands

For office sites, wall-mounted or free-standing bollards are recommended. Easy to install and taking up very little space, they are the preferred choice of companies.  

For a shopping center or high-traffic site, we recommend installing wall-mounted or free-standing double charging stations. These kiosks offer up to two charging points, with additional features such as payment for the charging session by credit card. 

How many charging points does a company need?

Before deciding how much power to allocate to the terminals, it's important to take several parameters into account. 

The power accepted by the vehicle: the actual charging power also depends on the vehicle: electric vehicles have an on-board charger with a specified maximum power. For example, a Tesla Model 3 can recharge at a maximum power of 11 kW. If plugged into a 22 kW charging point, it will recharge at 11 kW only. 

You'll also need to take into account your customers' recharging habits. 

In fact, if the charging station is intended to charge fleet vehicles that are parked for short periods, a high charging power is to be preferred: we recommend a power of 22 kW in alternating current, which allows you to regain more than 100 km per hour of charging, or 50 kW in direct current fast charging, which allows you to regain 100 km in 20 minutes of charging. 

In office environments, where vehicles are parked for several hours, 7.4 kW is more than sufficient. It allows you to regain 30 to 40 km ofrange per hour of recharging. 

The same applies to charging stations installed in hotels: a power of 7.4 kW is suitable. 

For a restaurant, a higher wattage is a good choice for quickly recharging vehicles parked for less than two hours, especially if the establishment is located close to a main road. A 22 kW terminal is a safe choice.

Charging stations are available in several power ratings: 

Power ratingsRefill typeRange regained/hour
3.7 kWAlternating current15 - 20 km
7.4 kWAlternating current30 - 40 km
11 kWAlternating current70 km
22 kWAlternating current100 - 120 km
50 kWDirect current300 km
100 kWDirect current600 km

If you wish to install a DC (direct current) recharging station, i.e. a 30-minute recharge, it is important to note two things: 

  • The cost of the equipment, which is 3 to 4 times higher than that of a 22 kW alternating current (AC) terminal.
  • It's possible that your electricity subscription is insufficient, in which case you'll need to increase it if you can. Or you'll have to ask Enedis to create an electricity delivery point.

Read also: Charging stations for companies: depreciation and tax exemption

How much does it cost to install a recharging point in a company?

The cost of installing a recharging infrastructure in a company depends on several factors

  • number of terminals
  • charging capacity (7.4 kW, 11 kW, 22 kW)
  • distance between terminal and electricity meter
  • necessary roadworks, etc.

An estimated range of between €1,000 and €5 ,000 should be borne in mind when installing a charging station in a company. 

Note that fast-charging stations, with a capacity of 50 kW or more, represent a higher investment.

I would like a quote for the installation of charging stations at my company

Get my quote

How can I charge for the use of a recharging point in my company?

Installing a charging station for electric vehicles represents an investment. However, while some sites offer recharging to users, it is becoming increasingly common to make recharging chargeable in order to achieve a return on investment, and out of fairness to employees who have not yet gone electric.

You can charge for charging sessions on a fee-for-service basis, by the hour, or per kWh of electricity consumed. There are no set rules, so it's up to you to define what best suits the users of your recharging solution.

Time-based invoicing reduces the number of "buffer" vehicles that remain connected when they have finished "topping up" their battery

kWh billing is recommended to avoid penalizing users whose vehicles recharge more slowly. 

To bill for recharging, you need to subscribe to a supervision system. This allows you to monitor the use of your charging stations, control them remotely and manage billing.

This tool is highly recommended, as it enables autonomous management of user invoicing. If the terminal installation involves several sites, it's a good idea to be able to control them from the same tool.

Billing typeFreePer kWhIn time
More
  • Free and secure, operated by RFID badge
  • Fair billing for all drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles
  • Reduces the extra cost of electricity consumption
  • Limits buffer vehicles
  • Maximize return on investment (billing by the minute, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour...)
Minus
  • No incentive to release the terminal once charging is complete
  • No incentive to release the terminal once charging is complete
  • Less equitable because not all vehicles load at the same speed
For whom?
  • Ideal for company cars and corporate fleets where recharging is at the company's expense.
  • Establishments open to the public (ERP) that make terminals available for a fee
  • Maximize the number of users per charging station and optimize return on investment

Beev's advice
There's no one type of billing that's better than another; it all depends on the strategy and objectives of each company. To determine which is best, you need to ask yourself why you want to install charging stations.

Discover our charging station supervision system

Get a quote

What assistance is available for the installation of a recharging point in a company?

For the installation of charging stations in your company, you can access the ADVENIR bonus.

As of January 1, 2023, the Advenir bonus no longer covers the installation costs for a charging station dedicated to fleet and employee electric vehicles.

On the other hand, ADVENIR premiums for private parking lots open to the public and for intermediate target groups (hotels, restaurants and shops) are still available:

  • Private parking lot open to the public Private car parks open to the public: the premium is 30% of the cost of supplying and installing the recharging points. Depending on the charging capacity chosen, the maximum premium per charging point is set at between €1,000 and €2,700 excluding VAT
  • Private parking lots open to the public - intermediate target (hotels, restaurants and shops): for a project limited to 5 charging points and a connection power of less than 36 kVa, the rate of aid is raised to 30%, with an amount of €700 (excl. VAT) per charging point. If the charging points are supervised, a €300 (excl. VAT) surcharge is added, making the total premium per charging point €1,000 (excl. VAT).

To benefit from the Advenir bonus, you need to choose a certified installer , use an electrician qualified in IRVE (Infrastructure de Recharge pour Véhicules Électriques) and comply with specifications specific to each type of installation.

The administrative procedures involved in obtaining these grants are often cumbersome and technical, so it's best to call on a specialized installer to take care of them for you. This guarantees that the subsidy will be paid at the end of the project. 

Good news: the ADVENIR program, which was due to end in 2022, has been extended until the end of 2025.

ATTENTION: incentives for private parking lots open to the public and for the intermediate target will end on August 1, 2023. Do not hesitate to contact us to make your request before August 1, 2023.

Good to know: since May 2022, ADVENIR and the employers' organization Mobilians, have collaborated to open a financial aid specifically for automotive service professionals. Here are the amounts set by the program:

  • For fleets and employees of automotive service professionals: the ADVENIR program provides for a 25% aid rate and a maximum amount of €750 per recharging point,
  • For private parking lots open to the public for automotive service professionals: amounts range from €1,700 to €15,000 with a 50% aid rate (amounts vary according to charging power). To find out more, take a look at this article about Advenir and the changes planned for 2023.

 

Install charging stations on your premises

Download our white paper to learn all about charging stations and become an expert! All the information you need is in this white paper for a successful charging station installation.
Download the white paper
WHITE PAPER

Picture of Ilona Soulage
Ilona Soulage

Let's enter the world of electric vehicles and charging stations together. Passionate about innovation, I'm here to help you make the transition to a greener world.

Tags :

With Beev

Switch to

or install your

For individuals and businesses

Discover our newsletter

With Beev

Switch to

or install your

For individuals and businesses

Hyundai IONIQ 5 Creative

from €499/month*

*Long-term rental offer on a professional basis for 49 months, 10,000 km per year, no deposit required.