towards the end of free charging at your workplace

Free charging of electric vehicles at the workplace is in its final stages. From January 2025, URSSAF will require companies to include this advantage in the calculation of social security contributions, thus modifying a measure which, since 2020, favored the adoption of electric cars.

URSSAF has just announced a modification which could reshape the landscape of electric mobility. From 2025, the free charging of electric vehicles at the workplace will be considered a benefit in kind. And that changes a lot of things.

Soon the end of free charging at work for your electric vehicles?

URSSAF announces a change in regulations which could modify the dynamics of electric mobility in France. From January 1, 2025, free charging of electric vehicles offered by companies will be considered a benefit in kind, putting an end to a favorable tax framework in force since 2020.

This system, introduced four years ago, allowed employees to charge their electric cars for free at their workplacewithout this generating social charges for companies or additional taxation for employees. The objective was to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, particularly in the face of the expansion of Low Emission Zones (LEZ) in large cities. However, this support will end with the entry into force of new tax rules, forcing companies to include the value of the electricity supplied in the calculation of social security contributions.

What are the consequences for employees and employers?

This regulatory development requires companies to make strategic choices. They will be able to continue to offer free charging, but will have to assume costs linked to social security contributions. Another option would be to charge for the electricity consumed or to set up suitable packages. For employees, this end of free service could result in additional expenses, making the acquisition of an electric vehicle less attractive.

Employees traveling long distances could be particularly impacted by this change. The electricity consumed will be considered a benefit in kind, potentially increasing their taxable income and tax liabilities. The financial benefit of free charging went a long way toward offsetting the high cost of electric vehicles, even with current government support. This new situation risks slowing down their adoption, while ZFEs make thermal vehicles more and more restrictive.

A contradictory decision

This turning point comes in a context where public authorities are actively encouraging electric mobility, but also to make big savings. The URSSAF justifies this modification by a desire for tax fairness, affirming that any advantage offered by an employer must be treated uniformly. However, this decision could thwart efforts to accelerate the energy transition, by making it more difficult for motorists to convert to all-electric power.

On the same subject: in 2025, the conversion bonus for electric cars risks disappearing

Furthermore, the removal of this advantage highlights existing inequalities. Until now, only employees with the means to acquire an electric vehicle could benefit from it, which raises questions about the accessibility of ecological transition policies.