Small and large companies equipped with electric vehicles are looking for concrete solutions to monitor charging and sometimes even to reimburse charging at employees' homes. Installing a charging solution with consumption monitoring is often necessary to simplify the use and management of electric vehicles. But what solutions exist for long-term use within the company or among employees while allowing savings?
In this guide, we will explore the various existing options to meet the specific needs of automobile fleets as well as VSEs/SMEs, aiming to simplify the management of electric vehicle charging.
1. The supervised charging station: the solution for automobile fleets
For businesses with large vehicle fleets, a supervised charging solution is essential to effectively manage electricity consumption and associated costs. Installing charging stations in the company's private car park is ideal for supervising all charging of the company's vehicles. This is essential to effectively manage the electricity consumption and associated costs of a vehicle fleet. In order to optimize the energy of the company's electrical installation to power several terminals at the same time, it is necessary to choose intelligent charging terminals with load shedding, that is to say equipped with dynamic management of energy. This functionality makes it possible to balance the energy to the different terminals without overloading the electrical network. Additionally, smart charging stations are often compatible with major monitoring platforms. Software-based monitoring allows businesses to monitor and control their fleet's charging stations, providing detailed data on charging sessions, costs and manage users. Management is simplified for the company, which can view key information related to the charging of their fleet at a glance.
For businesses, charging stations are also an economical solution for recharging company vehicles at the best price. Wallboxes are generally sufficient for a small structure. When there is a need to collect more information within the company, it is preferable to choose a suitable charging station which offers, for example, a mobile application providing real-time consumption information. The supervision solutions offered by terminal manufacturers may be sufficient and more affordable than a supervision platform to manage one or two company vehicles.
The main advantages of the connected charging station in business are:
- A simple and durable installation
- Controlling recharging costs
- Savings made with automatic load shedding
The charging station is, however, heavy in terms of installation costs if it is planned for the employee.
2. The connected mobile charger: the affordable and flexible solution
For businesses looking for cheaper and less restrictive alternatives to installing charging stations, mobile chargers connected to monitoring platforms offer increased flexibility. These devices can be used on different outlets and allow precise monitoring of consumption.
The main advantage of this solution is for use at home. The employee plugs the connected cable into a simple domestic outlet, then the data related to the recharge is sent to the charger's mobile application or to a supervision tool. Thanks to the recharge data collected, the company can reimburse the recharges carried out by the employee with ease. A check of the electrical installation is recommended at the employee's premises to ensure that the dedicated socket can support vehicle charging in complete safety. This is the simplest recharge to set up for an employee. It requires little work and is more flexible in the event of a move or other change of situation. For an automobile fleet, it will be even more appreciated to provide each electric vehicle with a charger connected to a supervision tool to find all the employees' recharges in real time in a single software.
The main advantages of the connected mobile charger are:
- It allows you to monitor recharges on a domestic socket, a reinforced socket or even on a terminal not compatible with supervision.
- It addresses the main issues of monitoring consumption outside businesses and public charging points.
- It simplifies your reimbursements for recharges to employees during working days.
3. Reimburse a recharge carried out at the employee's home
Reimbursement for charging an electric car carried out at an employee's home can be achieved in different ways, depending on the policies and resources available within the company. Here are some steps to follow to set up an effective reimbursement process:
→ Establish a refund policy
First of all, the company must define a clear policy for reimbursement of employees' electric vehicle charging costs. This policy should specify eligibility conditions, reimbursable amounts, expenditure validation methods, etc.
→ Collect information related to recharges
Employees must provide proof of their charging expenses, such as electricity bills or account statements specific to electric vehicle charging. This information must be collected in an organized manner and consistent with company policy. Using connected equipment simplifies the collection of information related to domestic charging.
→ Validate expenses
A spend validation process must be in place to verify that reimbursed top-ups comply with company policy. This may involve manually verifying invoices or using electronic tracking tools.
→ Calculate reimbursement
Once expenses have been validated, the reimbursement amount must be calculated based on the criteria established in company policy. This may be a total or partial reimbursement of the costs incurred by the employee for recharging their electric vehicle.
→ Payment of reimbursements
Reimbursements must be paid to employees regularly and transparently, in accordance with the company's payroll practices. It is important to keep an accurate record of reimbursements made to ensure traceability and tax compliance.
→ Communication and awareness
Finally, it is essential to clearly communicate the charging cost reimbursement policy to employees and make them aware of the procedures to follow to request reimbursement. Training or information materials may be provided to facilitate this process.
This method of reimbursement for electric vehicle charging must be adapted according to the size of the company and its reimbursement policy. Most of these operations can be done automatically using software like Chargemap Business.
To sum up
Companies have the possibility of setting up a charging solution with consumption monitoring, whether on site or at employees' homes, thus simplifying the daily management of charging. It is crucial to select charging solutions that meet each person’s specific needs.
To resolve problems related to reimbursement for recharges carried out at home, it is recommended to equip employees with connected terminals or connected mobile chargers. Although the cost of charging at home may be more beneficial, workplace charging has benefits for automotive fleets, including reducing deployment costs and simplifying management. In addition, for companies wishing to strengthen their ecological commitment, they can opt for intelligent charging stations with dynamic energy management, thus offering additional advantages by reducing the costs associated with recharging company vehicles.
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