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What makes charging stations profitable?
Just like with electric cars, one thing that can hold a driver back from buying a charging station is from a financial point of view.
To facilitate the purchase and use of charging stations, there are several alternatives. Here are just a few of them:
State-supported installation of charging stations
Once you've bought an electric vehicle, you also need to think about recharging it, in this case via charging stations.
Charging stations can be found at various locations:
- in public places: you can easily recharge your vehicle in dedicated parking spaces (shops, restaurants, hotels, campsites or on the road).
- Charging stations for your home
- in condominiums
- at community
However, installation requires a significant investment. Fortunately, the French government has set up the ADVENIRprogram, which helps finance the installation of charging stations.
In fact, when you plan to install a bollard, you'll receive a bonus depending on the beneficiary's situation.
To be able to benefit from it, it is important to use the services of a IRVE-approved installer( Electric VehicleCharging Infrastructure ) installer. In fact, a technician who installs a charging station, whose charging power is greater than 3.7 kW, must obligatorily have the qualification with the IRVE mention, in accordance with the standards of decree n°2017-26 of January 12, 2017. This qualification is issued thanks to specialized training on electric cars and charging stations. So, installing charging stations by a standard electrician (who doesn't have the IRVE mention) can pose a problem with insurance in the event of charging station-related accidents.
To find out more, we recommend you read this article, which explains the amounts you could receive and the conditions of eligibility for the ADVENIRprogram, depending on your situation.
Read more : choosing the right electric car charging station installer
A well-maintained charging station requires little maintenance
As with all other electrical devices, the charging station also requires regular maintenance for proper operation and long-term use.
Fortunately, a charging station doesn't require any major maintenance. The only things you'll need to check during maintenance are :
- load cable wear
- check that there are no problems with the plug contact
A low-maintenance charging station saves you money and avoids breakdowns. If this happens to you, call in a qualified professional. He'll diagnose the problem and find a solution as quickly as possible.
Adding options to charging stations
To make the best use of a charging station, options can be associated with the electrical appliance, such as the charging point with load shedding or the connected terminal.
With the evolution of new technologies, connectivity is becoming an integral part of charging stations, to facilitate charge management. It's true that this type of charging station represents a major investment, but in the long term, it pays for itself.
Thanks to connectivity, you will have several possibilities, including :
- monitor terminal consumption (electricity consumption, charging speed, duration and power)
- monitor terminal status remotely
- plan when you want to recharge the electric car
Of course, to use this option, you need a stable Internet connection.
Adding an option to a terminal does several things:
- better management of electrical equipment
- save money and energy: thanks to mobile applications linked to connected charging stations, for example, you can have total control over electricity consumption between the charging station and the electric vehicle. As a result, you'll not only see a considerable reduction in your electricity bill, but also more controlled energy consumption.
Profitability of charging stations for businesses
As we've just seen, many motorists are increasingly in favor of electric vehicles. To ensure that your customers are as well-equipped as possible, installation is more than necessary.
Installing a recharging point on your premises offers many advantages from 3 different angles:
- Benefits :
- charging stations are a way of attracting new customers and retaining existing ones
- the presence of recharging infrastructures shows the interest you take in your customers and employees alike. In this way, you improve user satisfaction
- Environmental benefits :
- The installation of a charging station shows that you are committed to adapting electric mobility for the benefit of everyone and the planet. It reinforces your company's brand image.
- reduce your impact on the environment
- Economic benefits :
- you can charge your customers for recharging, even those who only want to recharge their vehicle
- financial assistance is available for the purchase of electric vehicles and the installation of charging stations
- save on the total cost of the electric vehicle: fuel, maintenance, taxes, etc.
Charging stations vs. gas pumps
In March 2022, the whole world experienced soaring fuel prices2, according to the latest figures. This increase is explained by successive events, such as the health crisis and the war in Ukraine.
This is leading motorists to think about more economical solutions to reduce the cost of their journeys, in particular by switching to electric mobility.
Then, concerning the cost of the recharge, it depends on 3 essential elements:
- the location: the charge price will be different when charging at home or in a public place.
- when to charge the electric vehicle: iff you have an HP/HC electricity contract, then the cost of charging will be lower during off-peak hours at your home. Some public networks also offer preferential rates for charging at night.
- the type of charge selected: slow or fast charge
Charging stations will be part of tomorrow's power grid
Few people know it, but charging stations will indeed be part of the electrical grid. What exactly does this mean?
Some kiosk models feature technology known as V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) technology. This technology harvests and distributes the energy stored in an electric vehicle's battery to the electrical grid. Depending on the needs of the driver, demand and the capacity of the electrical grid, the electric vehicle's battery will charge or discharge.
So, thanks to this technology integrated on electrical terminals, it will not only power the vehicle, but also provide the necessary energy for electrical appliances at home.
This charging station function is just one of many. In fact, we've listed 6 things you need to know about electric charging stations.
Is it profitable to rent charging stations?
As you probably know, you can buy a charging station outright. However, to make electric charging stations as accessible as possible, it is now possible to rent them.
As a reminder, leasing allows you to spread out your monthly payments and avoid cash outflows, which is particularly useful for SMEs. In terms of duration, terminal rental is available for 36, 48 and 60 months, with two options: with or without equipment buy-back:
- With buy-back option: at the end of the rental contract, you can buy back the installed equipment for a residual value of less than 10%.
- Without buy-back option: in this case, the obsolete terminal will be recovered and you will be offered new equipment to take advantage of the latest advances in terminal technology at the end of your contract.
This financing method offers a number of major advantages, not least from a financial point of view. By renting a charging station, the owner of the station is responsible for a large part of the investment, such as the cost of installation. This means that the lessee only has to pay the cost of recharging.
So if you're on a tighter budget and want to recharge your electric vehicle at a lower cost, leasing a charging station seems like a cost-effective short-term solution.
Moreover, Beev offers to rent charging stations for companies, either on a long-term lease or on a lease with purchase option. If you would like to know more, you can contact us.
Where do we stand with charging stations in France?
This is one of the questions most electric vehicle owners ask themselves.
Many motorists, once reluctant, now own 100% electric vehicles. In fact, the year is off to a strong start, with 14,626 electric vehicles registered and a market share of +13%. This increase can be explained by a change in the ecological bonus on January 1, 2023for :
- Individuals
- With a reference tax income of €14,089 or less, the bonus has been increased from €6,000 to €7,000 for electric models costing less than €47,000.
- With a reference tax income of €14,089 or more, the bonus increases to €5,000
While more and more electric vehicles are on the road, charging infrastructures are still slowing down. Indeed, as of January 31, 2023, France had 85,284 charging stations open to the public, an increase of +57%. A remarkable development, but one that still falls short of the government's the government's ambition of 100,000 charging points to be installed by the end of 2021. This remains insufficient for motorists who would like easier access to charging at freeway service areas, for example.
Amélie de Montchalin, French Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, understands this problem for motorists: "we can't ask Europeans to switch to an electric vehicle if they don't have the certainty of being able to recharge, with a good distribution of charging stations". After much negotiation, the agreed to install charging stations every 60 km..
Why are charging stations so far behind schedule in France?
As we've just seen, solutions are being deployed to speed up the installation of charging stations. At a time when various electric car drivers are complaining about not having enough charging stations to recharge their vehicles, where does France stand on the installation of charging stations?
By 2021, the government had set itself a target of "100,000 charging stations" throughout France. At presentAvere-France counts 85,284 charging points open to the public as of January 31, 2023..
The deployment of charging stations in France is slowing down for several reasons:
- the Covid-19 health crisis
- shortage of electronic components, especially semiconductors, for the design of electrical terminals and electric cars
In conclusion
As we mentioned earlier, the purchase of a charging station represents a significant investment, which could discourage electric vehicle drivers from buying a charging station.
Despite this, there are many alternatives for making charging stations more accessible to everyone, whatever their budget.
If you'd like to have a charging station for your company, or simply install one at home, don't hesitate to contact us. Our Beev experts will be with you every step of the way.
