Smart homes, smartboards, and smartwatches you probably already know. Smart technologies offer many benefits. The same applies to charging your electric vehicle. Meet #smartcharging: smart charging of your car depending on how much you need to drive and how much time you have to charge.
In this article, we explain why charging via a regular power socket – also known as #slowcharging – is simpler, cheaper, more flexible, and better for the environment.
The average commuting distance in Belgium is the highest in Europe. Even as the European champion in commuting, we only travel an average of 40 km per day. If you plug in your car in the evening, it can charge all night, and you’ll be ready the next morning to drive up to 100 to 120 km. That’s what we call #slowcharging.
Moreover, there’s an extra advantage for those who sometimes work from home: during the day, you enjoy more charging time. Remote workers can even charge up to 240 km of driving range per day via a regular power socket.
Below you’ll discover the six key benefits of #slowcharging for both individuals and businesses:
1. Cheaper charging: lower rate on a regular power socket
Charging your car via a regular power socket at home is cheaper than charging at a semi-public charging station or fast charging station. Charging at a semi-public charging station is about 50% more expensive. Charging at a fast charging station can be up to 3 times the electricity rate of a household socket.
When you charge at home with a charging station, you have to pay a higher capacity fee. That’s because your charging station demands more from the electricity grid. You then pay more not only for charging your car but also for the entire consumption in your home (washing machine, lighting, etc.). By charging via a regular power socket, you benefit from a lower rate and save 200 to 600 euros per year in energy costs.
2. Cheaper for employers and society
For employers: Charging on a socket is much cheaper. In addition to lower energy costs, the employer does not need to install an expensive charging station at the employee’s home. Moreover, the employer avoids complexity when dismissing employees who use a home charging station.
For society: #slowcharging can reduce the evening peak in energy consumption by up to 49%, reducing the overall load on the electricity grid and keeping public costs for energy production, transformation, and transportation lower.
3. Charging on a power socket is possible everywhere
In Belgium, there are over 1.5 million sockets suitable for charging your electric vehicle. This offers enormous flexibility. You can charge wherever you want: at home, at the office, or with family. With smart technologies, sockets can register, enabling split billing by the employer, for example.
4. No installation hassle
A major advantage of charging via a socket is simplicity. You just plug the charger into the socket, and the car starts charging. No hassle with charging station installations, scheduling with busy installers, requesting inspections, or any demolition work.
You don’t need charging cards or accounts to access a charging point. Simply plug into the socket, and you’re ready to charge.
For businesses, this means that employees don’t waste time scheduling appointments or searching for available charging stations.
5. Better for the environment
When you charge your car via a regular power socket, you prevent high consumption peaks on the electricity grid. This means the network is less strained, and there’s no need for heavier cables or extra transformer stations.
As a result, the energy demand remains more stable, and you don’t have to contribute to the construction of new power plants. This makes #slowcharging a more environmentally friendly choice.
6. Longer battery life
Although charging via a power socket is slower, it has an important advantage: it’s better for the battery. Fast charging causes the battery to heat up faster, which can lead to wear over time.
With slower charging via a standard socket, the battery is less stressed. For both private users and fleet managers, this is a significant advantage. It reduces the total cost of electric vehicles and simultaneously increases the durability of your battery and the car’s residual value.
In summary: #slowcharging via a regular power socket is a smart choice.
More and more electric vehicle drivers are discovering the benefits of charging via a socket. It’s simpler, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly. With around 1.5 million available sockets in Belgium, employers don’t need to install expensive charging stations, saving both companies and employees money. Moreover, this charging method reduces the strain on the electricity grid and the home’s electrical installation.
Charging via a socket is also user-friendly: you just plug the charger into the socket without the hassle of charging cards or extensive work on your home.
Additionally, slower charging extends the battery’s life, saving costs and contributing to a more sustainable future.
Lastly, employees can change employers or homes. Even then, a flexible home charging solution offers many benefits.
Do you drive up to 100 to 120 km per day? Then charging via a regular power socket at home is a very interesting and cost-efficient solution. With #slowcharging, you choose a smart charging strategy, better known as #smartcharging. But how can you get the energy costs reimbursed by your employer? Thanks to the smart technology of the eCloud company, this can now be done very easily and quickly.
Want to know more about #smartcharging and the charging solutions from the eCloud company? Ask here (https://www.ecloudcompany.eu/contactus) your demo or contact us at info@ecloudcompany.eu or +32 50 590 595.