Why charge at company premises?
When companies decide to switch to eMobility and (partially) electrify their vehicle fleet, it usually makes sense to create their own charging facilities at the same time. We answer questions regarding what makes a company’s own charging infrastructure attractive for them and which factors are particularly important when planning this charging infrastructure.
Incentives for a charging infrastructure at the company premises
There are various reasons why companies should acquire their own charging stations. On the one hand, employees can be offered an additional benefit without being exposed to particularly high costs. Often, employees themselves approach their employer with a request to be able to charge at their workplace. The possibility of charging at the company premises is a service that directly benefits employees and is not – as is often the case with wage increases – reduced by tax payments and social security contributions. In addition, employee loyalty to the company is strengthened.
Company charging stations not only offer an important environmental protection incentive, but also pave the way for electrification in the private sector. At the same time, companies also fulfil part of their social responsibility by acting sustainably with regards to CO2 neutrally. This in turn creates a positive image that is attractive to potential employees or customers. In addition, various subsidies and tax benefits for purchasing and operating electric vehicles as well as expanding charging infrastructure will be in store in the coming years.
Important aspects for integrating charging stations at company premises
Although employers are allowed to provide free electricity for their employees until the end of 2020, it is unclear whether companies will be able to withdraw this benefit from their employees after the expiry date. Therefore, including billing functions in their charging system right from the beginning and offering employees charging at a net cost rate is recommended. They still benefit from this, as charging can be carried out during working hours without any subsequent loss of time, and companies generally obtain cheaper electricity pricing than private individuals.
Charging at the workplace should be as hassle-free as possible for employers. It is therefore advisable to choose smart charging stations with integrated software that can automatically bill all charging processes. Alternatively, the billing can be handed over to external service providers.
Furthermore, the charging facilities should not only be open to pool and company vehicles, but also to employees’ private vehicles in order to create incentives for the private use of electric cars.
The location requirements should be checked in advance by a competent electrician. It is also important to use technology from manufacturers that is compatible with all established standards in the industry, so that no vehicles are excluded.
Sensible charging and load management, i.e. the smart distribution of charging power to the charging connections, is also indispensable. This also brings the advantage of being able to assign priority when it comes to charging vehicles. Overloading of the house connection is thus avoided from the start.
After successful installation of the charging infrastructure, it usually becomes quickly apparent that all parties involved benefit from the company having its own charging stations.
