Investment in own charging infrastructure Independence from price fluctuations at public charging stations
Store at low price times So können E-Fahrzeuge besonders kostengünstig geladen werden
Solarstrom nutzen Use solar power
Partial loads Conserve battery life and save electricity and money
Vehicle-to-Grid From consumer to supplier
Load management Intelligent load management to avoid peak loads
Advantages of the home store Particularly cost-effective: charging at the wallbox at home
Clever charging - reduce costs Efficient charging processes offer numerous potential savings
Sample calculations & cost comparisons Find out how to optimize your operating costs
Conclusion Switching to an e-fleet enables considerable cost savings

Investment in own charging infrastructure Independence from price fluctuations at public charging stations

E-fleet costs under control: how to make the right savings when charging your electric company cars

Charging the e-fleet

Find out how you can save costs in your company with electric company cars.

The future of company mobility is electric - and not without reason. Electric vehicles (EVs) offer companies not only ecological benefits but also considerable savings potential. But while many companies are already proud of the first e-vehicles in their fleet, the real potential often lies in the details: namely in the clever management of charging processes.

Why make it complicated when it can be simple? If you know the right charging strategies , you can drastically reduce the operating costs of your e-fleet. In this article, we use illustrative examples and practical tips to show you how to charge your e-vehicles cost-effectively while increasing the comfort and satisfaction of your employees.

Investing in your own charging infrastructure: the power of independence

If you no longer want to be dependent on the availability and price fluctuations of public charging stations, you should consider investing in your own charging infrastructure . Yes, the costs of purchasing and installing charging points are not exactly low, but the calculation works out in the long term.

Why? With your own charging infrastructure, you only pay the electricity price that you negotiate with your energy supplier. No annoying waiting at third-party charging stations, no surprises when it comes to charging costs. Instead, you have full control and can arrange and use your charging points as you see fit.

For example:

Let's say you install 10 of your own charging points, each with a charging capacity of 22 kW. The one-off hardware costs amount to around €30,000. If you compare this with the annual costs for charging at public charging points, these costs are amortized in just a few years. What's more, own charging stations offer more flexibility in the use of solar power and allow you to plan your charging times perfectly.

Charging at low-price times: The early bird catches the cheapest tariff

Imagine this: Your employee is sitting comfortably at dinner with his family while his electric company car is safely parked in his private garage - or the other company cars in the company garage. Why wait for the night? Because electricity rates are often significantly lower then than during the day. These so-called off-peak times offer the perfect opportunity to charge e-vehicles particularly cost-effectively.

One example:

Many energy suppliers offer discounted tariffs at night and at weekends. Let's assume the day tariff is €0.40/kWh, while the night tariff is only €0.25/kWh. If you charge your fleet at the cheaper times, this trick alone can save you up to 40% on charging costs. With a fleet of 50 vehicles, this quickly adds up to several thousand euros per year!

Use solar power and energy storage: Tapping into the power of the sun

Imagine the sun working for you and charging your vehicles - for free! Sounds like science fiction? But it's not. If you have a photovoltaic system on your roof, you can produce your own electricity and use it to charge your e-vehicles. This not only reduces energy costs, but also makes you independent of rising electricity prices.

Combined with energy storage systems, you can even use the electricity you have produced during the day for charging at night. This means you don't have to buy expensive electricity from the grid, but can use the energy that the sun provides for free.

Example calculation:

A company with a 50 kW photovoltaic system produces approx. 50,000 kWh of electricity per year. If the average tariff for public electricity is €0.58/kWh, the company saves €29,000 a year by using its own solar power.

To put it more precisely:

Annual solar power yield: 50,000 kWh
Electricity consumption per company car: 4,000 kWh per year

This means that 12.5 company cars (50,000 kWh / 4,000 kWh) could be fully charged with the solar power generated.

Partial charging instead of full charging: Less is sometimes more

A common mistake in charging management: every vehicle is always fully charged. But that doesn't have to be the case! Partial charges are often enough to get vehicles ready for daily journeys. The advantage: partial charges are not only more gentle on the battery, but also avoid high load peaks that occur when many vehicles are charging at the same time.

A partial charge to 80% of the battery capacity can be enough to cover 90% of daily journeys, saving electricity and money.

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G): From consumer to supplier

Imagine your fleet becoming part of the electricity grid and earning money in the process! With vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G), the batteries of your electric vehicles can feed energy back into the grid. This could become an attractive business, especially in times of high grid load. At peak times, the revenue from feeding energy back into the grid could even exceed the electricity costs.

One example:

Companies could earn several thousand euros extra per year by feeding energy back into the grid at peak load times, as the grid buys the energy at a higher price than it costs at low price times.

Load management to avoid peak loads: charging with brains

An intelligent load management system prevents all vehicles from charging at the same time and thus causing high peak loads. These peak loads not only lead to higher electricity prices, but can also put a strain on the infrastructure. A clever system only charges as many vehicles as the grid allows and distributes the charging processes optimally.

Advantages of charging at the employee's home: convenient and cost-effective

Encouraging employees to charge their vehicles at home has several advantages. It relieves the burden on the infrastructure at the location and reduces charging prices. Employees can charge at lower household rates, especially if they have their own photovoltaic system.

Example calculation:

A typical company car drives an average of 25,000 km per year and consumes around 20 kWh per 100 km. Charging at home with a tariff of €0.37/kWh results in annual electricity costs of €1,850 per vehicle. At public charging stations with a price of €0.58/kWh, on the other hand, the costs amount to €2,900.

By charging at home, an employee can save €1,050 per vehicle per year. With a fleet size of 50 vehicles, this corresponds to a total annual saving of €52,500.

Conclusion: Clever charging reduces costs - and drives companies forward

The electrification of company fleets offers numerous potential savings if the charging processes are designed efficiently. With the strategies presented here, companies can not only reduce their operating costs, but also make an active contribution to the energy transition. Use these tips to exploit the full potential of your electric company cars and future-proof your company.

Sample calculations and cost comparisons

In order to make the advantages of electromobility over conventional combustion vehicles tangible , concrete figures are essential. Below we have selected some sample calculations that illustrate how companies can optimize their operating costs through clever charging strategies and the switch to electric vehicles.

Emission savings through electric vehicles

Comparison: diesel vs. electric vehicles (50 vehicles, 25,000 km annual mileage)

Diesel fleet

Average consumption: 6.5 l/100 km
Annual diesel consumption: 81,250 liters
Emission factor for diesel fuel: 2.65 kg CO₂/liter
Total annual emissions: 215,312.5 kg CO₂

Electric vehicles

Average consumption: 20 kWh/100 km
Annual electricity consumption: 250,000 kWh
Emission factor for German electricity mix: 0.563 kg CO₂/kWh
Total annual emissions: 140,750 kg CO₂

Savings:

The CO₂ emissions saved annually amount to 74,562.5 kg CO₂. This corresponds to a CO₂ reduction of 34.63% per year.

To illustrate: this value is comparable to the annual energy consumption of an office building with an area of 1,500 m².

Cost savings when charging: at home vs. in public

Comparison: 50 electric vehicles with an annual mileage of 25,000 km each

100% public charging
(average price: €0.58/kWh)

Annual electricity consumption per vehicle: 5,000 kWh
Total annual electricity costs: 250,000 kWh * €0.58/kWh = €144,976.80

50% public charging and 50% charging at home (average price: €0.37/kWh)

Electricity consumption at home (70% of mileage): 7,290.5 kWh per vehicle
Public electricity consumption (30% of mileage): 3,124.5 kWh per vehicle
Annual electricity costs per vehicle:
7,290.5 kWh * €0.37/kWh = €2,698.49
3,124.5 kWh * 0.58 €/kWh = 1,812.21 €
Total annual electricity costs (for 50 vehicles): € 2,698.49 * 50 vehicles = € 134,924.50

Savings from charging at home:

144,976.80 € (public) - 134,924.50 € (mixed calculation) = 10,052.30 € per year

Internal combustion vs. electric: comparison of operating costs

Assumption: fleet of 50 vehicles with an annual mileage of 25,000 km per vehicle

Diesel fleet

Average consumption: 6.5 l/100 km

Annual fuel costs (at €1.40/liter diesel): 81,250 l * €1.40/l = €113,750 per year

Electric vehicles

Average consumption: 20 kWh/100 km

Annual electricity costs (at €0.58/kWh public): 250,000 kWh * €0.58/kWh = €144,976.80
Annual electricity costs (at € 0.37/kWh at home): 250,000 kWh * € 0.37/kWh = € 92,500

Result: Comparison of operating costs:

With 100% public charging: Diesel is cheaper (€ 113,750 vs. € 144,976.80)

With 100% charging at home: electric vehicles are significantly cheaper (€113,750 vs. €92,500)

Savings potential through optimized charging management: up to €51,250 per year if all vehicles can be charged at home.

Conclusion

Switching to electric vehicles in company fleets not only offers the opportunity to be more environmentally friendly, but also to make considerable cost savings. The optimization of charging processes is crucial. Government subsidies and tax incentives also offer additional financial support when switching to e-mobility. Modern fleet management software helps to optimally control charging processes, and the use of vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) can even generate revenue. Charging at home is particularly attractive: it increases the flexibility of employees and ensures high cost savings.

Topics: Billing Electric cars Vehicle fleet