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.
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. |
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! |
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.
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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:
This means that 12.5 company cars (50,000 kWh / 4,000 kWh) could be fully charged with the solar power generated. |
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.
| 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. |
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.
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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. |
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.
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.
Comparison: diesel vs. electric vehicles (50 vehicles, 25,000 km annual mileage)
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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.
Comparison: 50 electric vehicles with an annual mileage of 25,000 km each
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144,976.80 € (public) - 134,924.50 € (mixed calculation) = 10,052.30 € per year
Assumption: fleet of 50 vehicles with an annual mileage of 25,000 km per vehicle
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Average consumption: 6.5 l/100 km
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Average consumption: 20 kWh/100 km
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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.