It takes 10 minutes tops to fill up a diesel or petrol car and you’re good to go for another 600 to 900 km, whereas it takes 10 hours to charge an electric vehicle with a driving range of 400 km – that’s quite a difference!

How can I find out if I qualify for an electric driving profile?
You qualify for an electric driving profile if you fully agree with the following three statements:
1. My electric vehicle’s driving range is more than sufficient for my day-to-day drives
2. I can charge my electric vehicle safely and efficiently, so I can always start my next drive with peace of mind
3. I can find an electric vehicle that checks all my boxes and is within my budget.

One of the key aspects of electric vehicles is often their driving range; i.e. the distance you can drive with a fully charged battery without having to stop to charge your vehicle.

Together with the charging solution and the available budget, the range is one of the determining factors in the choice of electric vehicle.

The range of your electric vehicle, depends on

• The usable energy capacity of the battery (in kWh)
• The actual consumption in (in kWh per 100 km), which depends to a large extent on driving style and driving conditions (for example, whether you have the heating or air conditioning on)

Table: the driving range depends on the usable battery capacity and the actual consumption

When you drive an electric vehicle, you want to be able to charge your vehicle safely and efficiently, so you can always start your next drive with peace of mind.

The perfect solution: a home charging station
A home charging station offers a number of benefits, such as charging at reasonable kWh rates, and being able to let your housemates, visitors and even your neighbours use it, whether in return for payment or free of charge.

If you are the tenant of a house or apartment, you will need to make clear agreements with the owner.

If you are the owner of a house or apartment, you will need to make clear agreements with the trustee.

Charging your vehicle at work and/or at public charge points
If your home is not suitable for the installation of a charging station, we recommend spending some time researching your options for charging your vehicle at work and/or at public charge points.
If that all checks out and there are sufficient alternative charging options available, go for it!

Be sure to factor in your day-to-day drives, battery capacity and actual consumption when choosing your electric vehicle.

Are there no or insufficient charging options available?
Or exceeds the cost of an electric vehicle your budget?
We recommend choosing a fuel-efficient fossil-fuel vehicle.

The third and final aspect – budget – is where employee and employer both come into play. Your employer sets the budget, subject to a certain limit, which you can use to select a vehicle.

Check the rules on budget allocation in your employer’s car policy (fleet regulations).

The concept of electric vehicles is actually fairly straightforward. We connect a battery to an electric motor, add four tyres and now we have an electric vehicle.

Electric motor
Electric vehicles are powered by one or more electric motors.
Electric motors are powered by electric energy supplied by the battery.

Battery
Electric vehicles are equipped with a battery which supplies and receives direct current, whereas the public electricity network uses alternating current. To be able to charge the battery of an electric vehicle off the grid, every electric vehicle is equipped with a converter, which converts alternating current into direct current.

Battery capacity
The energy is stored in the battery. The battery’s energy capacity (or battery capacity) is expressed in kilowatt-hour (kWh) and ranges from 15 kWh to over 100 kWh.

Consumption
An electric vehicle’s consumption is expressed in kWh per 100 km and ranges from
10 to 25 kWh per 100 km

Driving range
The average range of a fully charged battery is between 100 and 500 km, depending on the battery’s energy capacity and on consumption.

Combustion engines and electric motors
A plug-in hybrid vehicle has two engines: an internal combustion engine (generally petrol-driven) and a powerful electric motor.
A PHEV is very powerful because the internal combustion engine and electric motor can also operate simultaneously.
The vehicle has a low official fuel consumption (theoretically) and therefore also low CO2 emissions.

Battery
The battery can be charged in advance from the mains or at a charging station.

Battery capacity
Up to 34 kWh (i.e. a driving range of 124 km)

Driving range
Depending on the vehicle, up to 100 km can be driven entirely on electric power. Once the battery is empty, the petrol engine takes over.

To see which makes and models are available, browse the various car manufacturers’ websites
or check out the comprehensive database at https://ev-database.uk .

One of the key aspects of electric vehicles is often their driving range, i.e. the distance you can drive with a fully charged battery without having to stop to charge your vehicle.

As with fossil-fuel vehicles, the driving range of electric vehicles depends on two parameters:

• The amount of energy stored in the battery pack or fuel tank
• Actual consumption

If you know how full your battery is and how much energy the vehicle consumes, it is easy to calculate the actual driving range:

usable battery capacity / actual consumption = actual driving range

More info on driving range

Charging power is an important factor when it comes to electric vehicle charging. The higher the charging power, the faster the charging speed.

The following factors determine how long it takes to charge an electric vehicle at a charging station

• The battery charger/converter in the vehicle
  • How many phases can the converter process?
  • What is the maximum amount of current (in amperes) that the converter can supply?
• The charging station connection (number of phases and amperes) to the electricity grid
• The electrical home installation (number of phases and amperes)

The maximum power for charging an electric vehicle depends on the weakest link in the chain (in other words, you can only charge as fast as the weakest component allows).

Charging power is expressed in kilowatts or kW for short. 1 kilowatt = 1,000 watts.

Energy is power during a certain period of time and is expressed in watt-hours (Wh) or kilowatt-hours (kWh).

The energy capacity of an electric vehicle’s battery is expressed in kWh.
The battery capacity of today’s electric vehicles is between 15 and 100 kWh.

Example: the range of an electric vehicle with a battery capacity of 60 kWh and consumption of 15 kWh per 100 km is 400 km.

As with fossil-fuel vehicles, an electric vehicle’s consumption is expressed in ‘amount of fuel’ per 100 km, but instead of ‘litres’, the term used for electric vehicles is ‘kilowatt-hours’ (or kWh for short).

The average consumption of today’s electric vehicles is between 15 and 25 kWh per 100 km.

The charging time is the number of hours and/or minutes it takes to charge the electric vehicle’s battery from 0% to 100%.

The charging time depends on

• The battery’s energy capacity (in kWh)
• The maximum charging power (in kW)

How is the charging time calculated for fully charging an empty battery
(linear calculation)?

battery's energy capacity in kWh / (charging power in kW × efficiency of 90%)

Example

• 64 kWh / (2,3 kW x 90%) = 31 h
• 64 kWh / (7,4 kW x 90%) = 9 h 30 min

The charging speed represents the number of kilometres of range added to the battery’s capacity per hour charged.

The charging speed depends on

• The maximum charging power (in kW)
• The electric vehicle’s energy consumption (in kWh per 100 km)

How is the charging speed calculated?

(charging power in kW ×efficiency of 90%)/(consumption in kWh per 100 km)

Example

• (2.3 kW x 90%) / 15 kWh per 100 km = 14 km/h of 7 h 15 min. per 100 km
• (7.4 kW x 90%) / 15 kWh per 100 km = 44 km/h of 2 h 15 min. per 100 km

No car can run without energy. Conventional cars get their energy from petrol or diesel, while electric vehicles get theirs from the battery. And the battery is charged off the grid.

There are three charging methods – or modes – for electric vehicle batteries.

*AC charging = charging with alternating current                
  DC charging = charging with direct current

Mode 2 – AC charging means charging using a standard household socket via a separate charging cable with built-in protection.

• Mode 2 – charging cables
  • The charging cable supplied with the vehicle
  • A smart charging cable
• Maximum charging power = 2,300 W or 2.3 kW
• Charging time* for a range of 100 km = 7 h 15 min
• Charging speed* = 14 km/h

* based on electricity consumption of 15 kWh per 100 km

Important note: Never use an extension cord.

Mode 3 – AC charging means charging at a charging station that is integrated into the electrical home installation.

Mode 3 is used by public and semi-public charge points and is also suitable for charging at home and at work. The charging station is mounted on a wall or on a pole.

• Charging power between 3.7 kW and 22 kW
• Charging time* for a range of 100 km = between 45 min. and 4.5 hours
•  Charging speed* from 22 km/h to 133 km/h

* based on electricity consumption of 15 kWh per 100 km

Tip
Always keep two charging cables in the electric vehicle’s boot.

1. Mode 3 charging cable for use at charging stations (public charge points)
2. Mode 2 charging cable (with built-in protection) for charging using household sockets

The Type 2 sockets at a charging station and on an EV are not identical but complementary. As a result, the charging cable can only be connected on one end, even if both ends are Type 2.

Certain electric vehicles are designed for three-phase charging. To be able to charge an electric vehicle at home

• You must have a three-phase connection to the grid
• Your home charging station needs to have a three-phase connection
• You need to use a proper charging cable

Three-phase charging requires a 400 V supply. A transformer is required for a 230 V three-phase connection to enable three-phase charging (some electric vehicles can be charged using a three-phase charging station supplied with 230V, but then only two out of three phases will be used, resulting in lower power).
Whether you have a three-phase 3 x 230 V or 3 x 400 V+N is not an option you can personally select, as it depends on the electricity network in your street.

For instance, based on an electric vehicle with a battery capacity of 64 kWh and
an electricity consumption of 15 kWh per 100 km

¹ Provision: the charging station and electric vehicle must be maximally aligned based on

• The number of phases of the electric vehicle’s converter
• The amount of current that the converter can supply

² Time required to fully charge an empty 64 kWh battery (linear calculation)
³ Charging speed based on electricity consumption of 15 kWh per 100 km

There are three determining factors for the maximum power when charging an electric vehicle at a charging station.

1. The connection of the electrical installation to the electricity grid
   • Single-phase or three-phase?
   • 1 x 230 V, 3 x 230 V or 3 x 400 V? If three-phase, is there a neutral conductor (N)?
2. The connection of the charging station to the electrical installation
   • Single-phase or three-phase?
   • What is the current (in amperes) per phase?
3. The on-board charger or converter in the electric vehicle
   • How many phases can the vehicle’s converter process?
   • What is the maximum amount of current (in amperes) that the vehicle’s converter can supply?

The weakest link in the chain determines the maximum charging power (in other words, you can only charge as fast as the weakest component allows).

Example 1: You have an electric vehicle with a 25A single-phase converter

• Which connection provides the highest charging power?
  • A single-phase connection of at least 25A
  • The maximum charging power = 5.8 kW
• What if the charging station has a 32A single-phase connection?
  • The electric vehicle’s converter can only handle 25A
  • The maximum charging power = 5.8 kW
• What if the charging station has a 16A three-phase connection?
  • The electric vehicle’s converter can only handle single-phase charging
  • The charging station can only supply 16A per phase
  • The maximum charging power = 3.7 kW

Example 2: You have an electric vehicle with a 32A three-phase converter

• Which connection provides the highest charging power?
  • A 32A three-phase connection
  • The maximum charging power = 22.2 kW
• What if the charging station has a 16A three-phase connection?
  • The charging station can only supply 16A per phase
  • The maximum charging power = 11.1 kW
• What if the charging station has a 25A single-phase connection?
  • The charging station is suitable for single-phase charging only
  • That single phase is suitable for 25A only
  • The maximum charging power = 5.8 kW
    

* At a consumption of 15 kWh per 100 km

As a tenant, you do not have the right to have a charging station installed at your own initiative. Such decisions are up to the owner.

If you do have a charging station installed, it becomes the property of the owner of the house or apartment you’re renting, even if you paid for it.

If you cannot have a home charging station installed, you will have to charge your vehicle at public charging stations or at work.

• To charge your EV at public charging stations, you need a charge card, such as the NFC charge card, which you can use to charge your vehicle at more than 99% of public charging stations in Belgium.
• Your employer’s car policy should stipulate whether you can charge your vehicle at work.

Make sure to carefully plan your charging sessions at work or nearby, especially if you’re planning a longer drive.

Take the test with the ‘Guide to Driving Electric Vehicles’ (only in Dutch). In a few steps, you will find out whether electric driving is the right choice for you and which electric vehicle is the best fit for you.

Since not every home or apartment is suitable for the installation of a charging station, and in some cases it can take up to several months to have the charging infrastructure set up, it’s best to start making the necessary arrangements as soon as possible!

• If you live in Flanders, you will find detailed information and a brochure on the Fluvius website
• If you live in Wallonia, there are several network operators to choose from: ORE, Resa, AIESH, REW. See the ORES website for more details.
• If you live in Brussels, you will find more information on the Sibelga website.

Tenants
If you rent an apartment, contact the owner to discuss the possibilities.

Lease car drivers
If you drive a lease car, check your employer’s car policy. A lot of employers offer the option to include a home charging station in your lease contract. Your charging station will then be connected to your individual electricity meter and you will pay the additional costs for installing the charging station (in addition to the price you pay under your lease contract) and infrastructure changes yourself.

More information on leasing an electric vehicle with a charging station is provided at this link.

You can use your charge card provided the charging solution meets a number of conditions:

• The charging station must be equipped with a module that allows ‘guest usage’.
• The charging station must have a card reader to swipe your charge card to start a charging session.
• The charging station must be equipped with RFID technology to enable data exchange between the charging station and the charge card provider. RFID is an acronym for Radio Frequency Identification.

Charging costs are billed through the charge card provider.

• You can have the charging station disassembled and reassembled at your new home.
• Note that if the charging station is part of your lease contract, the disassembly and reassembly costs will be at your expense.

Tel. 02 588 12 51

• Shell Recharge Customer Care team
  • Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• External breakdown service
  • Monday to Friday: 10 p.m. - 7 a.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: 7 p.m. - 10 a.m.

Contact the Shell Recharge Customer Care team on 02 588 12 51

• Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Read the info on the capacity rate and on how to adjust the charging power of your electric vehicle and/or Shell Recharge charging station.

When you drive an electric vehicle, you want to be able to charge your vehicle safely and efficiently, which is why we highly recommend a home charging station. Using a home charging station has a number of advantages.

• Your vehicle charges much more quickly than when you simply plug it into a mains socket
• Charging stations deliver more power than a mains socket
• Electricity at home is cheaper than at a public charging station
• The electricity consumption is measured and can be set off
• There is no risk of overheating with a charging station

You can have a charging station installed in your garage, on your driveway or under your carport. You will need to ensure you have enough space for it. The garage can be adjacent to your home, but it can also be a separate or free-standing garage or an underground garage.

KBC Autolease's premium offering is a Charging Station Pack, an integrated total solution for charging electric cars, consisting of

• A home charging station including installation and subscription
• A hybrid NFC charging card
• Electricity provision
  

KBC Autolease offers a Charging Station Pack. That package includes

• A charging station of Shell Recharge Solutions
  • 7.5 metres of fixed cable
  • Charging power* up to 22 kW
  • Colour: white as standard (other RAL colours available)
  • RFID reader
  • Weatherproof
  • Compatible with all electric vehicles
  • Certified safety
  • Connected online
  • Access to charging data and history
  • Universal Type 2 socket
• Installation of the charging station at the driver's place of residence
  • Single-phase connection (with charging power up to 7.4 kW) or
    three-phase connection (with charging power up to 22 kW)
  • Including cable and/or manual excavation work (up to 10 metres from the fuse box to the charging station and including one drilling)
• Installation of the charging station on a wall or pole
• Dynamic Power Management – a module to optimally distribute the available power capacity between domestic appliances and the charging station
• Legally required technical inspection (AREI)
• A Carefree Charging subscription
  • Administration and access to data via a personal online user portal
  • Automatic reimbursement of electricity costs incurred at home
  • Setting up of guest usage
  • Remote control with Remote Charge Point Control
  • Automatic software updates
  • Helpdesk (via e-mail or over the phone)

* The maximum charging power of the charging station depends on a range of factors: local rules and regulations, the type of electric vehicle, the connection to the grid at your location and the electricity consumption of your building.

If the distance between the fuse box and the charging station is greater than 10 metres or a hard surface has to be dug up, additional installation fees will be charged.

• Minimum price per running metre: 40 euros (excl. VAT)
• Price per running metre depends on the type of work required, and – if digging is necessary – on the surface dug up (e.g., concrete paving slabs, asphalt, dolomite, etc.)

These fees are invoiced separately.

Example 1

• 3-metre cable from the fuse box along the inside wall to the outside wall
• 1 drilling through the outside wall
• 4-metre cable along the outside wall to the charging station

There are no additional installation costs.

Example 2

• 3-metre cable from the fuse box along the inside wall to the outside wall
• 1 drilling through the outside wall
• 2-metre cable along the outside wall
• 5-metre underground cable to the charging station, which is mounted on a pole and base. Paving stones have to be broken up and re-laid.

There are additional installation fees for digging up a hard surface.

• Minimum price per running metre: starting from 40 euros (excl. VAT)
• Price per running metre depends on the type of work required, and – if digging is necessary – on the surface dug up (e.g., concrete paving slabs, asphalt, dolomite, etc.)
  

• The charging station including installation costs 2.266 euros (excl. VAT)

After installing the charging station, the installation technician will connect it to the Internet. They do this by following the steps below:

1) 4G connection using a SIM card in the charging station

The charging station is equipped with a 4G SIM card to connect to the back office of Shell Recharge Solutions over the Internet.

2) Wi-Fi

If it isn’t possible to connect via 4G, the installation partner will bring the charging station online using Wi-Fi. This means that the charging station has to be near the Wi-Fi router transmitting the signal.

 3) Ethernet cable

A third option is to connect the charging station to the modem using an Ethernet cable. If there is no modem nearby, a UTP cable will be connected and a mobile router installed. This router costs 450 euros excluding VAT.

• Log in to your account at https://account.shellrecharge.com/.

If the charging station is still not working, contact Shell Recharge Solutions’ technical support department on + 32 2 588 12 51 (option 1).

You can use the national 'hybrid' NFC card in Belgium

• For electric charging
  • At your home charging station
  • At work, if possible
  • At over 9,000 public charging stations (info available in the Shell Recharge app)
    
• For filling up with fossil fuel

If you opt for the international 'hybrid' NFC card you also have access to the Shell Recharge Solutions network, the largest network of public charging stations with 200,000 charging stations across 35 European countries, and you can refuel at all Shell and Esso stations throughout Europe.

An NFC charge card costs 2.50 euros/month (excl. VAT). 

If your employer pays for home charging, you can set an automatic charge (= amount per kWh). You can find out how to set up this compensation in the step-by-step plan Getting started with the home charging station

• The home charging station registers the electrical consumption at home (expressed in kWh) and sends this information to Shell Recharge Solutions.
• Shell Recharge Solutions reimburses your charges monthly based on consumption and the set reimbursement rate.
• Shell Recharge Solutions invoices these charging sessions via Shell to KBC Autolease.
• KBC Autolease invoices a monthly electricity provision to the employer and periodically settles the actual costs, just like with fossil fuels.

The electric vehicle and the Charging Station Pack are both included in the KBC Autolease quote:

• Electric vehicle
  • Financial rental
  • Complete service package: repairs, maintenance, tyres, insurance, etc.
• Charging Station Pack
  • The charging station and the installation are part of the financial rental
  • The 'Carefree Charging' subscription and advance charge are specified on the quote as separate lease components.

1. Open KBC MoveSmart
   Learn more about KBC MoveSmart
   
2. Go to ‘Quotes’ and hit (‘Car Quote’) to work out how much your vehicle will cost
3. Select your mobility plan
4. Kit out your electric vehicle (packs, options and any accessories) using the codes on your dealership’s quote where possible
5. Add a KBC MoveSmart under ‘Accessories and discounts’. Press the button ‘Add accessory’, select ‘Charging station’ and choose ‘KBC MoveSmart (purchase)’ under ‘Edition’. Finally, press the ‘Add’ button.
6. Choose the colour and upholstery you'd like
7. Check the vehicle price and selected options in the summary
8. Save your quote by selecting ‘Save’
9. If you're ready to order, select 'Approve'. KBC Autolease orders your electric vehicle and informs Shell Charging Solutions that you have ordered a charging station.
   
   

Request a quote from KBC Autolease for an electric vehicle including a Charging Station Pack.

• KBC Autolease
  • Orders your electric vehicle from the selected dealership
  • Informs Shell Charging Solutions that you have ordered a charging station
• Shell Recharge Solutions sends you an e-mail asking you to provide all the relevant information about the home and vehicle through an online checklist, based on which it can work out the most suitable charging solution.
  • If it is not possible to make an accurate assessment based on the online checklist, Shell Charging Solutions contacts you by phone.
  • An expert may perform an on-site inspection for highly complex solutions. This inspection costs 132 euros.
• You fill in the online checklist.
• Shell Charging Solutions then uses this checklist to prepare a detailed quote. This quote includes the following
  • The specific details of your basic installation: single-phase or three-phase, wall-mounted or pole-mounted (with a dock), RAL colour, up to 10 metres of cable and/or excavation from the fuse box to the charging station and one drilling.
  • Installation work is not included in the basic installation.
    Specifically, this refers to any additional metres of cable and/or excavation from the fuse box to the charging station beyond 10 metres, and any extra drilling. These extra costs are invoiced separately.
• Once KBC Autolease has received a quote from Shell Charging Solutions, KBC Autolease orders your charging station from Shell Recharge Solutions.
• KBC Autolease informs you and Shell Charging Solutions of the vehicle’s delivery date as soon as it has received this information from the dealership.
• The charging station installer calls you to arrange a date for the installation. The installation of the home charging station is planned for around two weeks before the vehicle’s delivery date.
• KBC Autolease notifies you when your vehicle is ready for delivery.
• You make an appointment with the dealership.
  

Through an online intake you provide Shell Recharge Solutions with the necessary information about your home and your electric vehicle so that the optimal charging solution can be configured.

No.
The KBC Autolease account assistant will only send Shell Charging Solutions a request for inspection after receiving your approved order.

The Shell Recharge Solutions charging stations are suitable for any type of grid. There’s usually no need to upgrade the existing grid if the charging station is equipped with the Dynamic Power Management module, as this module ensures that your household power consumption is prioritised over vehicle charging. It’s also good to note that when any devices in the home that consume large amounts of electricity (heat pump, electric stove, etc.) are switched off, the vehicle can be charged at a higher power.

1. KBC Autolease will notify Shell Recharge Solutions of your charging station order on receipt of the signed quote (for your electric vehicle and home charging station).
2. Shell Recharge Solutions will send you an e-mail requesting more information about your home and car. You will be asked to complete an online survey to provide Shell Recharge Solutions with relevant information and photos, based on which it will prepare a detailed quote and determine the best charging solution for you.
   Check your personal and work mail for an e-mail sent from an address ending with …@shellrecharge.com. If you don’t see the e-mail in your inbox, be sure to also check your spam or junk mail folder.
3. Shell Recharge Solutions will include the following items on your quote:
   • Specifications of your basic installation
   • Installation activities not included in the basic installation You will be billed separately for these additional costs.
4. The installation will be carried out by a certified installation partner of Shell Recharge Solutions.
   • The installer of the charging station will contact you by phone about six weeks before the scheduled delivery date of your vehicle to schedule the installation date.
   • The installation of the home charging station will be scheduled around two weeks before the delivery date of your vehicle.
5. On completion of the installation, the installer will notify an independent inspection body, which will contact you to schedule an inspection appointment.
6. The last step is to activate the charging station, which is explained in the step-by-step instructions.

It is best to install your charging station or charge point as close as possible to the electricity box in order to limit installation costs and remain within the standard KBC Autolease installation package. Depending on your answers to the online survey, additional installation costs may apply.

Statistically, EVs are much less likely to catch fire than internal combustion engine vehicles. We highly recommend informing your insurance agent if you’re having a charging station installed at your home.

Obviously, the charging station takes no account of the terms of your energy contract. However, there are two ways to schedule the charging of your vehicle (for example, based on the night rate):

• Via the vehicle itself: most electric vehicles allow you to schedule charging sessions in the app or in the vehicle’s own settings;
• Via the charging station: you can use the Shell Recharge app to programme charging sessions with the home charging station. You plug in the charging cable and activate the charging session when you park the vehicle. The charging session will start according to the programmed schedule.

In addition, you can have the charging power of a Shell Recharge Solutions charging station optimised with the Dynamic Power Management module (for instance, to reduce charging power) by calling the Shell Recharge Solutions technical support department on + 32 3 808 63 55.

Yes – your answers to the survey questions are used to determine whether it is safe to connect a charge point to your current electrical system, as well as to provide you with an accurate quote tailored to your specific home situation.

Electric charge points in Belgium must be connected to a separate electrical circuit, protected by a suitable differential switch and circuit breaker. The certified installation partner of Shell Recharge Solutions will ensure that the installation meets all technical and legal requirements, in order for it to be subjected to an AREI inspection by an independent inspection body.

Shell Recharge Solutions charge points can be combined with local energy storage, such as a home battery. However, monitoring and control of the charge point and the home battery, as well as the interaction between the two (Home Energy Management System), are not provided by Shell Recharge Solutions.

If you charge your EV while the solar panels are producing electricity, this electricity is used to power the devices consuming electricity at that time (such as an EV). If the solar panels produce insufficient power to provide the required charging power, the available solar power will be supplemented with grid power.

However, the Shell Recharge Solutions charge point is not equipped with a Home Energy Management module that takes any solar panels or a home battery into account in optimising the charging process.

The standard KBC Autolease package includes a 7.5-metre fixed cable. A fixed cable saves you from having to unwind, roll up and store the loose cable (which comes with the vehicle) before and after each home charging session.

The Shell Recharge Solutions certified installation partner will take care of the installation from A to Z.

We only need you to do two things:

• KBC Autolease will notify Shell Recharge Solutions of your charging station order on receipt of the signed quote (for your electric vehicle and home charging station).
  Shell Recharge Solutions will send you an e-mail requesting relevant information about your home and car. We kindly ask you to accurately complete this online survey within a week of receiving it.
• The installer of the charging station will contact you by phone about six weeks before the scheduled delivery date of your vehicle to schedule the installation date. Agree on a suitable date for the installation so you can make sure you are at home that day.

The Home Advanced is a connected charge point that uses a built-in SIM card to forward all charging transaction data to Shell’s back office in the cloud. This connection enables you to remotely control the charge point and use all kinds of smart services (such as automatic reimbursement of charging costs linked to a company car).

The charge point is also equipped with the Dynamic Power Management module, which optimises the vehicle’s charging process based on your home’s energy consumption. This allows you to charge at a higher power at night – when other devices that consume large amounts of electricity (heat pump, electric stove, etc.) are switched off – without having to upgrade (and spend a fortune on upgrading) your current grid.

Another smart and convenient tool is the Shell Recharge app, which you can use to programme charging sessions with the home charging station. You can plug in the charging cable and activate the charging session when you park the vehicle. The charging session will start according to the programmed schedule.

However, the Shell Recharge Solutions charge point is not yet equipped with a Home Energy Management module that takes any solar panels or a home battery (if applicable) into account in optimising the charging process. Shell is currently developing a HEMS solution that can be added to the charge point already installed.

Having two electric vehicles in the same household does not necessarily mean you need two separate charge points or connections. It all depends on the usage of the EVs: the average daily mileage, whether the vehicles are charged on the road or at work, and so on.

An ideal solution would be to use the same charge point at home for several vehicles, taking turns every other night, for example, avoiding the need for a second charge point. If both vehicles’ batteries need to be topped up with more than 150 kilometres of driving range every day, it might be better to have a second home charging station installed.

The average expected lifetime of a charge point is 8 to 10 years, which roughly translates to two company cars’ life cycles. Depending on technological advancements (such as vehicle-to-grid applications), it may be preferable to replace the charge point sooner.

Shell Recharge Solutions offers a standard five-year warranty on its charge points. The conditions for transfer of ownership if you move house or leave the company should be stipulated in your employer’s car policy.

• If the station has to be moved, for example when moving house, disassembly costs 229 euros excluding VAT. 
• If a broken or worn-out station needs to be replaced on-site, you will be charged half this price. 

Yes, it can. 

• When moving house, disassembly of the charging station costs 229 euros excluding VAT. 
• The cost of installation depends on the connection at the new location and is determined on the basis of an online checklist or on-site inspection. 
• The warranty remains valid only if the charging station is relocated by an authorised installation partner of Shell Recharge Solutions. 

A charge point only has one connection and can only charge one vehicle at a time.

To activate your charging station, you will need your Shell Recharge Solutions identification number, which you can find on the back of your NFC charge pass.

Follow the instructions in the step-by-step guide and you're good to go.

If your employer reimburses your home charge sessions, you can go to your account at https://account.shellrecharge.com/ to set up automatic reimbursement. Shell Recharge Solutions can then reimburse your charge sessions by monthly credit note.

Follow the instructions in the step-by-step guide

Yes, you can.

• Download the 'Shell Recharge' app for free from the App Store or Google Play Store.
• Make an account in the app
• Order a Shell Recharge charge pass for this vehicle in the Shell Recharge app
• Log in to your account at account.shellrecharge.com
• Add the charge pass
• Set guest usage to ‘Guests have to pay’
• Set the preferred guest rate
• Set charge pass access to ‘Charge with your charge pass’.

This allows three possibilities

1. If you charge your company car with your NFC charge pass, these charge sessions are reimbursed by Shell Recharge Solutions.
2. If you charge your personal vehicle with your linked Shell Recharge charge pass, this is not reimbursed. You pay for these charge sessions yourself.
3. If a visitor charges their vehicle, they will pay the guest rate you have set and you will be reimbursed.
   

Whether your guests can charge depends on your 'guest usage' settings in your account.shellrecharge.com account:

• Switched off
• Free of charge for guests
• Guests have to pay

If you allow guest usage, we recommend that you set charge pass access to 'Charge with your charge pass', which means your charging station will only charge using the charge passes you select.

Users of the electrical grid who have a charging station are required to register this with their distribution system operator. Those who fail to do so may face an administrative fine.  Charging stations for electric vehicles must be registered in Flanders and Wallonia, but this is not yet required in Brussels. 

This new requirement is intended to help predict the electricity needs of households and businesses, especially as the number of electric vehicles on Belgian roads is expected to increase. This information will allow grid operators to better anticipate changes on the distribution network and make targeted adjustments.
 

• In the Flemish Region, the Flemish Regulator for the Electricity and Gas Market (VREG) introduced the mandatory registration of charging stations for electric vehicles in June 2021.All charging stations connected to the low-voltage grid with a load capacity of 5 kVA or more must be registered with Fluvius.
• In the Walloon Region, the most recent electricity market decree came into force on 15 October 2022. This requires any grid user with a charging station to register this with the grid operator.
• In the Brussels-Capital Region, charging stations currently do not have to be registered, but this is likely to change in the near future.

• In the Flemish Region, you must register your charging station with Fluvius
  • Go to Fluviuso
  • Make sure you have the EAN code of your existing electricity connection to hand. Your EAN code can be found on the energy bills from your supplier.
  • What should you enter in the following fields if you have a Shell Recharge charging station?
    • Name of installer: Shell Recharge
    • Type of charging system: Single charging station
    • Access to charging system: Personal
    • Does the system use smart charging? Yes, the charging station applies an agreed limit on peak consumption
    • Charging station manufacturer: Enovates
    • Name of charging station model (manufacturer): Home Advanced
    • Number of charging stations (= number of plugs/sockets): 1
    • Maximum configured capacity per charging station: Single-phase: 7.4 kWThree-phase: 22 kW
• There are five distribution system operators in the Walloon Region: ORES, RESA, AIEG, AIESH en REW
• In the Brussels-Capital Region, Sibelga is the network operator but you are not currently required to register your charging station. 

If you have any questions, contact your grid operator.

•  Log in to your account at account.shellrecharge.com
• Set guest usage to 'Guests have to pay'
• Set the guest rate to the rate for home usage reimbursed by the partner's employer.

Tip
Do not check 'Show on map to everyone' because the charging station will then become 'Public' in the Shell Recharge app.

• Install the Shell Recharge app
• Make an account in the app
• Order a Shell Recharge charge pass in the app
• Log in to account.shellrecharge.com
• Add the charge pass
• Activate your charge point
  
  

We highly recommend informing your insurance agent if you’re having a charging station installed at your home.
They can then include it in your home insurance policy.
This may involve a slight increase in your insurance premium.

No, the charging station is not covered under your car insurance.Damage to your charging station due to an external cause is covered under your home insurance. Please contact your home insurer about this matter.

Contact your insurance agent for help with filing the claim.

You can use your KBC AutoleaseNFC charge card to charge at over 99% of public charge points in Belgium and at all fast-charge points such as Ionity and Fastned, with the exception of Tesla Superchargers.
You also have access to the Shell Recharge Solutions network, the largest public charging station network with over 350 000 charging stations in 35 European countries.

Download the Shell Recharge app for free from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Benefits

• Allows you to find available public charge points near you and on the road
• Gives you access to real-time data on the availability, charging speed and charging rates of specific charge points
• Notifies you when your favourite charge point becomes available again
• Order a personal Shell Recharge charge card. This card can be used for charging sessions outside of Belgium at your own expense, with the added benefit of having a ‘back-up card’ handy whenever you need it.

Charge cards can currently be used internationally by default and it is not possible – at least for now – to exclude access in a specific country or limit its use at certain Charge Point Operators such as fast charging at Ionity or Fastned.

You can read more about the use of your charge card, whether you can use it to charge at fast-charging stations or abroad, and plenty of other useful information in your Car Policy.

We recommend getting a personal charge card for charging abroad or at fast-charging stations.

• You can order a personal Shell Recharge charge card through the Shell Recharge app. This card can be used for charging sessions at fast-charging stations and outside of Belgium at your own expense, with the added benefit of having a ‘back-up card’ handy whenever you need it
• You will find a list of available charge cards and the associated costs at 
  • www.ik-rij-elektrisch.be
  • www.laadkaarten.be
• Some car manufacturers offer their own charge card, including discount rates at certain Charge Point Operators
  
  

Download your charge card’s accompanying app and gain access to useful information, including where to find the nearest charge point that accepts your charge card, so you can hit the road well-prepared.

KBC Autolease offers a comprehensive charging solution in the lease contract:

• Charging station installed at the driver’s home (from Shell Recharge Solutions, (SRS)
• Charge card (hybrid Network Fleet Card) for electric charging at over 99% of public charging stations

This comprehensive solution offers various benefits:

• Centralised reporting
• Transparent billing
• Reimbursement of charging sessions at home
• Cost optimisation (as there are no roaming charges)

However, in some cases, the charge card and charging station cannot both be facilitated by Shell. While this shouldn’t be a problem in most cases, it’s still good to note the possible consequences of a different configuration.

Before we take a closer look at the four possible scenarios, let’s start by explaining a few terms: Charge Point Operator, Mobility Service Provider, roaming and whitelisting.

The Charge Point Operator (CPO) is the party responsible for the management and operation of the charging station for the owner.

• The CPO monitors and manages the charging station transaction data, based on which it can offer a number of smart services. The owner of the charging station can use the CPO’s platform to determine whether the charging station is private or public and what rate is charged for charging sessions.
• The CPO is also responsible for the ‘split billing’ service, which ensures that a company car’s charging sessions are reimbursed to the consumer and billed to the employer.

As part of the comprehensive solution offered by KBC Autolease, home and work charging stations are operated by Shell Recharge Solutions (i.e. the CPO).

The Mobility Service Provider (MSP) is the charge card issuer. The charge card is used to start a charging session and also determines the billing process. If the charge card is used at a public or semi-public charging station, the MSP determines the amount ultimately billed to the end customer based on the applicable roaming contract.

As part of the comprehensive solution provided by KBC Autolease, Shell Fleet Solutions is the MSP of the NFC charge card (Network Fleet Card).

Roaming for charging electric vehicles is based on agreements between service providers, i.e. between Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and Mobility Service Providers (MSPs). Within these agreements, the CPO operates the physical charging stations while the MSP enables drivers to charge at those charging stations.

More specifically:

• As a driver, you can charge at charging stations owned and operated by a variety of operators with a single charge card.
• When an unregistered charge card is used to start a charging session (e.g., at a public or semi-public charging station), it involves a ‘commercial transaction’ between the CPO (the operator of the charging station) and the MSP (the issuer of the charge card). The rate recorded by the user will deviate from the rate finally billed based on the roaming contract between the CPO and the MSP.

When an MSP’s charge card can be registered (i.e. ‘whitelisted’) on the CPO’s platform as a ‘known’ charge card, a specific rate can be set for charging sessions carried out with that charge card. These charging sessions therefore do not constitute ‘commercial transactions’ and fall outside the scope of the roaming contract, and the rate recorded by the user is billed without additional charges.

This is the comprehensive KBC Autolease charging solution.

When Shell is both the operator of the charging station and the issuer of the charge card, the NFC charge card can be registered for home charging sessions.
The main benefit in this case is that the reimbursement rate recorded by the employee can be charged directly to the employer excluding any commercial transaction between two operators (i.e. no roaming).

The NFC charge card is registered upon activation of the charging station. See how in the step-by-step guide.

In this scenario, Shell Recharge Solutions is not the operator or CPO of the charging station. Instead, another party is responsible for the configuration of the charging station and, if applicable, for split billing.

When choosing a non-Shell charging station, it is important to note the following:

• The charging station must be connected (to be able offer services such as split billing).
• The charging station’s CPO must be able to make reimbursements according to the frequency and rate stipulated in the employer’s car policy.
  • If the other CPO permits whitelisting of Shell’s charge card for split billing, charges can be reimbursed and billed directly between the employee and employer (i.e. without additional roaming charges). In that case, the charging station can be used ‘privately’, and only the registered charge card can be used to charge for a specific amount.
  • If the other CPO’s back office does not permit whitelisting of Shell’s charge card for split billing, charges will be settled based on the applicable roaming rates agreed between the MSP (i.e. Shell’s NFC charge card) and the relevant CPO. In that case, the charging station must be semi-public so as to allow guest usage. The amount set by the employee is not necessarily the amount that will be billed to the employer.

Shell can whitelist other parties’ charge cards but cannot link a split-billing rate. In other words, if a non-NFC charge card is used at an SRS charging station and these charging sessions are supposed to be reimbursed, the charging station must allow guest usage (i.e. a semi-public charging station).

Charges will be settled according to the applicable roaming rates agreed between the relevant MSP and Shell Recharge Solutions (as the CPO). The amount set by the employee is not necessarily the amount that will be billed to the employer.

When choosing a charging station and charge card, it is important to note the following:

• To offer split billing (i.e. a company car’s charging sessions at home are reimbursed to the employee and billed to the employer), the charging station must be connected.
• The charging station’s CPO must be able to make reimbursements according to the frequency and rate stipulated in the employer’s car policy.
  • If the CPO permits whitelisting of the relevant MSP’s charge card for split billing, charges can be reimbursed and billed directly between the employee and employer (i.e. without additional roaming charges). In that case, the charging station can be used ‘privately’, and only the registered charge card can be used to charge for a specific amount.
  • If the CPO does not permit whitelisting of the relevant MSP’s charge card for split billing, charges will be settled based on the applicable roaming rates agreed between the MSP and the relevant CPO. In that case, the charging station must be semi-public so as to allow guest usage. The amount set by the employee is not necessarily the amount that will be billed to the employer.

Yes, if you prepare properly, you can drive long distances in an electric vehicle.

But don’t forget: if you take the motorway to your holiday destination in a fully loaded vehicle with two bicycles on a bike rack and the air conditioning set to 20°C, your vehicle’s electricity consumption will be considerably higher than normal. In other words, make sure you plan to recharge on time.

A few key tips

• Map out your route well in advance
  • Install at least 2 route planner apps on your mobile phone such as ‘A Better Routeplanner’
  • Download apps from major charging networks such as Ionity, Fastned, Tesla, etc.
  • Make sure you are familiar with the built-in navigation system of your electric vehicle
  • Plan when you’ll stop to charge and give yourself enough flexibility
• Keep an eye on your car's driving range when you’re on the road, or better still, let your fellow passenger do this
• While travelling, charge at fast-charging stations with a charging power of at least 50 kW
  • Select fast-charging stations and minimum charging power in your charge card app
  • Some fast-charging stations are also set at 100 kW or even 350 kW, so check the maximum charging power of your vehicle
  • Remember that fast-charging stations only allow you to charge your battery up to 80%
• Carry at least 2 or 3 international charge cards, and make sure you have a physical version of them (i.e. not just the app)
• If you’re travelling and need to stay somewhere overnight, choose a hotel or B&B with the option to charge your vehicle there or at a fast-charging station nearby
• Don't travel during busy weekends as you’ll inevitably get caught in traffic jams and queues for fast-charging stations
• Bring two charging cables:
  • A mode 3 charging cable for charging at public charging stations
  • A mode 2 charging cable for charging from an ordinary socket (e.g., at your holiday home) in emergencies
  • The charging cable at fast-charging stations along motorways is permanently connected to the station itself, so you don't need a separate cable to use it
• Drive at a constant speed of 110 km/h while on the motorway

• A Better Routeplanner
• PlugShare
• Fastned
• Ionity
• Tesla
• Sygic
• Shell Recharge
• ANWB
• Google Maps

• 7 tips when driving an electric car on holiday - VAB-Magazine (Dutch)
• Can you drive long distances with an electric vehicle? 20 tips on holiday with your EV (reisroutes.be) (Dutch)
• 12 tips for holidays with an electric vehicle - ANWB (Dutch)

Download the 'Shell Recharge' app free of charge from the App Store or Google Play Store.

The answer to this question is provided by Shell Recharge Solutions.

• You do not need to provide any cabling yourself: the best preparation is to lay a waiting tube up to the location of the charging station.
• If you are doing your own cabling, we recommend that
  • You always use a three-phase cable with a minimum thickness of 6 mm² (5G6), or of 10 mm² (5G10) for cabling of 70 metres or more
  • The installer takes into account that the device can theoretically produce 22 kW and a future-proof cabling infrastructure is therefore recommended. We usually use a 5x6 mm² (5G6) YMvKas cable (or thicker, as required)
  • You install a CAT5 UTP cable that connects to the charging station
  • The power cable runs from the (main) fuse box to the location where the charging station will be installed. Make sure to add a metre on both ends of the cable for extra flexibility

A Charge Point Operator, or CPO, installs and manages charging stations.
The charge points from a CPO can be activated by multiple MSPs with a charge pass and sometimes with a smartphone app.

A Mobility Service Provider, or MSP, offers charge passes so that electric vehicle drivers can use public charge points.
The MSP determines the final cost of charge sessions. The compensation received for using charge points from CPOs in Europe is calculated into this final cost.

If 'guest usage' has been enabled at the charging station, then in principle it is always possible to charge with an NFC charge pass.
You can check this with the Charge Point Operator of your charging station.