According to data from the Leuven consultancy company, charging at slow public terminals has the third most expensive rate in the EU, while we are in 7th place for fast charging stations.
On the basis of these data which only concern (important precision, we will see) terminals along roads and motorways, the VAB magazine recently hit the nail on the head: by taking an average of 0.63 €/kWh for a slow recharge and 0.75 €/kWh for a fast one, refueling with electricity is always more expensive than refueling with LPG; and for gasoline and diesel, it is only cheaper if you connect your EV to your home.
In price per 100km, this gives (on average) €7.6 for LPG, €9 for diesel, €10.92 for 95 petrol, €12.6 for recharging at a slow terminal and €15 for a fast terminal. On the other hand, for recharging at home, this price drops to €7.12.
But this element of home charging is precisely central to this debate, underlines Arnaud Crevits, founder of the Borne company. be: “the question of price at public charging stations is anecdotal since 85% of EV users recharge them at home, 10% at work and only 5% at terminals along roads and motorways.” This last option should only be used for troubleshooting, he says. Because even if we don’t have the possibility of recharging at home or at work, “long parking lots”, those in supermarkets, fast-food restaurants and other shopping centers, offer interesting alternatives. “Sometimes even more interesting than at home.” Because often the possibility of recharging is primarily intended to bring in the customer, not to sell kWh.
Despite these various nuances, Robin Loos believes that the price of charging remains problematic in Belgium for those who cannot connect their EV at home. For the Sustainable Transport manager of BEUC, the organization representing European consumers, if we want electric mobility to concern as many people as possible, we should nevertheless offer an attractive electric rate for everyone outside the home and workplace. Because even the charging possibilities in “long parking lots” will not be sufficient if the majority of motorists switch to electric.
Ultra-fast charging stations installed in Châtelineau
-Photovoltaics and dynamic prices: the good plan
Charging your EV at home can become a real good deal if you have photovoltaic panels and can recharge during solar hours. For EV users, another good plan will be to take advantage of the most favorable time slots for the price of electricity. This will be possible in Wallonia from July with the introduction of dynamic tariffs. These will offer more attractive prices per kWh at certain times (when the network is less busy or renewable energies provide a lot of electricity, for example). “We could even then have periods with negative prices,” notes Arnaud Crevits. Not enough to be paid to refuel, because there will always be the fixed part (subscription, tax, transport, etc.) but still the possibility of charging around €012/kWh. That’s a cost of around €2 per 100 km for an average EV. “And if you have a smart terminal, you just need to plug in the EV and charging will take place automatically at the most appropriate price point,” notes Arnaud Crevits.
Survey: 93% of owners of an electric company car are satisfied with it
Finally a little more transparency on prices at charging stations
A problem EV drivers often face at a public charging station is the lack of price transparency. While the price of diesel or gasoline is clearly indicated at the pump, for electric prices differ depending on the subscriptions and suppliers. And since payment is most often made via applications or cards specific to mobility operators, it is sometimes only upon receipt of the invoice that we know how much we have paid. But the situation is improving. Since April 2024, the European Regulation on the Deployment of Infrastructure for Alternative Fuels (AFIR) has come into force. It requires operators to clearly display the price in euros per kWh. Downside: this rule only concerns fast terminals (more than 50 kW) installed after 2024 and those which must be renovated or repaired. However, this compliance will apply to all fast terminals by 2027 at the latest. Why not the same rule for slow terminals? “Because the lobbies won their case,” says Robin Loos, of the organization representing European consumers.
Another advance for the consumer for these fast terminals and according to the same timetable as for price transparency: payment by bank card must be possible. Too often payment is still only possible via an application or a card specific to a mobility operator. “Which is generally not the same as the one who manages the physical terminal and who therefore takes his commission in passing,” notes Robin Loos. The deployment of card payment should make it possible to cut this obligatory link with mobility operators while transparency will increase competition. With a beneficial effect on prices, he believes. For slow terminals, bank payment will also be compulsory (for new terminals and others in 2027), but with the possibility given to operators to offer it via a QRcode. “The operators argued that installing card payment was too expensive for these terminals,” says Robin Loos, who still sees the effect of lobbies. “But the competition authorities are increasingly aware of this and that is why the Commission is trying to catch up. The AFIR regulation must also be reviewed in 2026 and we hope that there will be further progress to the consumer.”
