Charging electric company cars at home

Electric company cars are extremely popular due to the many subsidies, grants and tax breaks available as well as low emissions. Every third electric car is a company vehicle. To ensure the electric fleet’s readiness for use, many companies offer their own charging facilities at the company premises. However professional charging stations at an employee’s home are also worth considering and offer many advantages.

How can electric company cars be charged at home?

Charging an electric company car via a household socket is not advisable. For one thing, it takes a very long time and also involves serious safety concerns. In addition, the electricity consumption of the charging processes can no longer be tracked, which prevents employers from reimbursing the costs.

A suitable solution is to install an smart charging station with integrated software at the company car driver’s home. The advantages are obvious: charging can be carried out safely and quickly, and the software makes it possible for charging processes and the subsequent electricity costs to be recorded to the kilowatt-hour, submitted to the employer and subsequently reimbursed. In addition, employees have maximum flexibility and are no longer dependent on the charging options at the company premises.

How can charging costs be reimbursed?

Without a smart charging station, it is difficult to reimburse electricity costs that are paid for privately. This is because at charging stations with no software, the electricity consumption must be read manually by the drivers. This means additional effort and is a source of errors. Smart stations, on the other hand, allow for internal billing by the employer. Electricity consumption and its costs can be submitted to the company by receipt at the end of the month. This provides security and transparency – for employees and employers alike.

Who bears the costs of the charging station for the company car?

In principle, financing must be agreed individually between the company car driver and the employer. There are two approaches:

1. Financing by the employer

Companies can provide their employees with a tax-free charging station for the duration of their employment. The costs are borne by the employer and the charging station remains the company’s property.

Alternatively, the employer can “give away” the charging station to its employees in addition to their salary. This variant is considered a non-cash benefit and must be taxed at 0.25%.

2. Financing by the employee

Employees can also cover the costs for the charging station themselves. The advantage of self-financing is that the employee can take advantage of the KfW subsidy. In addition, employers can subsidise the costs of installing and purchasing the charging station. This is also considered a monetary benefit and must be taxed at 0.25%. Alternatively, complete reimbursement by the employer is possible afterwards.