How to build an EV charging strategy

Why do companies need a charging strategy now? #

Electric vehicle adoption is accelerating fast. In Belgium, EVs already represent 28.5% of new car sales in 2024, and in the Netherlands, that number has climbed to 35% in Q1 2025.

While adoption is booming, building a scalable EV charging strategy is not straightforward. Companies face choices about charging set-ups, reimbursement models, data centralisation, and how to future-proof against shifting regulations and grid capacity limits. This article breaks it all down step by step.

What are the different EV charging set-ups? #

Home charging
✅ Pros: Convenience, predictable charging patterns, higher driver satisfaction
❌ Cons: Installation costs, technical feasibility at each driver’s home, reimbursement complexity

Public charging
✅ Pros: Supports drivers without home/work chargers, flexible for long trips
❌ Cons: Higher kWh prices, variable availability, third-party billing complexity

Workplace charging
✅ Pros: Controlled environment, better cost tracking, centralised management
❌ Cons: Requires capacity planning, parking allocation, and sometimes grid upgrades

Each option comes with trade-offs. In practice, most companies use a hybrid approach to balance flexibility, cost, and employee satisfaction.

How do reimbursement models work? #

Reimbursement depends on the charging set-up:

• Home charging → Flat rate or actual kWh-based reimbursement
• Public charging → Direct card billing or expense claims
• Workplace charging → Free or billed at an internal rate

But keep in mind that cross-border differences matter too:

• Belgium: Strict tax rules for reimbursing home electricity, with VAT considerations
• Netherlands: Net-metering, energy tariffs, and fiscal obligations for employer-provided chargers

How to centralise cost and data? #

The biggest challenge companies face is fragmented charging data. Without centralisation, hidden costs pile up: double billing, missing data, and inaccurate TCO calculations. You can centralise your costs and data by:

• Integrating home meters, workplace chargers, and public networks
• Linking costs to both drivers and vehicles for full visibility
• Bringing everything into one unified platform to control costs and simplify reporting

How to future-proof your strategy? #

Rules and grid conditions are changing rapidly. Companies that “wait and see” risk higher costs and compliance issues. It's key to stay on top of regulations and address grid challenges.

• Belgium: Fiscal incentives for EV adoption; strict VAT/tax rules on reimbursing home charging
• Netherlands: Home charging costs rising; incentives for employer-provided charging with fiscal reporting obligations

By 2030, EVs could add 25% more demand on local grids. Companies must prepare for:

• Demand peaks during work hours and evenings
• Delays in new grid connections
• Rising energy prices linked to capacity

Smart charging is the solution:

• Load balancing spreads demand across time and chargers
• Cheaper tariff hours reduce energy costs
• Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) tech lets EVs double as storage units

In short, smarter charging today mean savings tomorrow.

What are the key steps to a scalable, compliant strategy? #

To succeed, companies should focus on three essentials:

1. Define your charging set-ups & reimbursement models
2. Centralise cost & data in one platform
3. Monitor regulations & prepare for grid constraints

A structured approach ensures you’re not just meeting today’s needs but building a future-ready charging strategy.