Home charging station for a company car: who pays the costs?

More and more companies are switching to electric company cars. In many organizations, an electric car is now even the only option within the car policy. This raises an important question: should an employer also provide a home charging station for employees? And who pays for the installation and charging costs?

The answers are less straightforward than they were a few years ago. The market is evolving rapidly, and more and more organizations are re-evaluating their approach to home charging.

Should an employer provide a home charging station?

When electric company cars first emerged, many employers chose to offer a complete package. This included not only paying for the charging station and its installation but also reimbursing home electricity costs.

While that approach is still common today, we are increasingly seeing alternative models emerge.

More and more employees already have their own charging point, for example:

• Through a previous employer
• Through their partner's employer
• Through their own investment
• Because a charging point was provided with a new-build home

As a result, the discussion is shifting from the installation of a charging station to the reimbursement of charging costs.

What if an employee already has a charging station?

When an employee already has a charging solution, new questions arise for employers:

• Can an existing charging station be used for reimbursing charging costs?
• Is a second charging station necessary?
• Can a partner's charging station be used?
• How is the correct rate determined?

These situations are becoming increasingly common and require clear agreements within the car policy.

The new trend: reimbursing charging costs instead of installing charging stations

While companies previously focused primarily on installing charging stations, today the focus is shifting towards correct and legally compliant reimbursement for electricity charged at home.

In this model, employees choose their own charging solution. This includes the type of charging station, its location, design, or the presence of a fixed charging cable.

The employer, in turn, ensures correct reimbursement of electricity costs. This can be done, for example, through:

• A smart charging station with registration
• Software that automatically measures consumption
• An application that communicates directly with the vehicle
  
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  This creates more flexibility for both employer and employee.
  

What charging solutions are available for companies?

Today, organizations can choose from various models depending on their mobility policy and budget.

Full support

The employer provides:

The charging station

• The installation
• Reimbursement of charging costs
• This model offers complete peace of mind for employees.

Reimbursement of charging costs only

The employee chooses and finances the charging station themselves.

The employer only reimburses the electricity costs for charging the company car.

Charging-as-a-Service

With this model, the charging station is rented instead of purchased.

When an employee leaves, the charging station can be removed and redeployed for another employee. This offers extra flexibility and limits investment costs.

Why your car policy needs to evolve

The market for electric company cars is changing rapidly. While the initial focus was on installing charging stations, today it is increasingly shifting towards fair reimbursement of charging costs.

In this sense, we are once again evolving towards the logic of the traditional company car: not the infrastructure, but energy consumption is central.

Therefore, it is important to regularly evaluate your car policy and establish clear agreements regarding:

• Home charging
• Reimbursement of electricity costs
• Use of existing charging stations
• Charging cards and public charging infrastructure

This way, you avoid discussions and create clarity for all involved parties.

Looking for the right charging strategy for your organization?

The choice between providing a charging station, reimbursing charging costs, or a hybrid approach depends on the maturity of your fleet, your budget, and the expectations of your employees.

TraXall Belgium helps organizations develop a future-proof charging policy and a clear EV policy. Do you want to know which charging solution best suits your organization? Contact our experts for independent, tailored advice.