Frequently asked questions about electric driving

With electric driving, you travel with a vehicle powered by one or more electric motors, also called EV. To power the electric motor(s), electricity is stored in a battery that can be charged at home, at the office or on the road at a charging point. The electric motors can also be powered by electricity generated from hydrogen (= by a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen). Hydrogen-powered electric vehicles do not have a battery, but a so-called fuel cell on board. Choice in models is currently rather limited.

Electric driving does not involve physical CO2 emissions (so-called tailpipe emissions). CO2 emissions can be further reduced to zero if you can charge the battery with green energy. In addition, an electric car requires fewer moving parts and therefore less maintenance than an internal combustion car.

This depends on two factors, namely the driver profile and the facilities for charging infrastructure. 

This entirely depends on the company premises, the facilities at the employees' home and local, public facilities. But we are happy to help you determine what is the right charging infrastructure for your situation.

The charging time of an electric vehicle depends on several factors. The most important are the (usable) capacity of the battery, the capacity of the charging point and the on-board charger of the vehicle. Please note that the charging capacity of the vehicle’s battery also plays a role. To calculate how long an EV needs to charge, divide the usable battery capacity by the charging capacity of your charging point.

Eg. Hyundai Ioniq 5: 73 kW (Battery capacity) / 22 kW (Charging station) = +-3h 30 min.

Please note that the vehicle’s on-board charger also has a maximum capacity. The capacity of this on-board charger determines the effective charging capacity of the vehicle. If this maximum charging capacity is lower than the capacity of the charging stations, the capacity of the on-board charger determines the effective charging capacity of the vehicle.

Home charging stations with the following capacities can be installed: A domestic socket (“standard socket”) is 2.3 kW. It is not recommended to charge an EV using a domestic plug. Not only does it take a very long time, but it can also be dangerous. A domestic socket is not designed for prolonged use and will therefore heat up, which may cause a fire hazard. We recommend installing a future proof charging station: a charging station that can supply 22 kWh, even if your vehicle does not require this or your electricity grid cannot (or not yet) deliver 22 kWh. The power can be limited to the necessary/available power with a minor adjustment.

Yes, that is possible, provided they have their own charging card, and your charging station is set up as a public charging point. You will receive the payment for the kWh used, and the owner of the charging card will receive the invoice.

On the one hand, (PH)EV’s are more expensive than cars with combustion engines. On the other hand, the government heavily stimulates the greening of fleets via fiscal advantages such as a 100% deductibility and low taxes for electric cars. 

Therefore, it is important to look at the bigger picture and calculate the TCO (total cost of ownership). 

Generally, the TCO of EVs is more favourable for business than the TCO of cars with combustion engines.

Also, with the current fiscal legislation, an EV will without a doubt become the most economical alternative between now and 2026. A clear TCO analysis and the imminent abolition of deductibility of diesel and petrol cars are important factors to consider.

Alphabet supplies all electric cars that are officially available on the Belgian market, and helps you prepare and complete the transition from internal combustion cars to electric cars. Contact your Alphabet contact person if you want to know more.

Even the smallest EVs have a range of more than 180km and 80% of people drive less than 50km every day. For safe and comfortable driving, we recommend ensuring that the range of your chosen EV is 150% of your daily mileage.

The number of kilometres you can drive is also called the driving range or operating radius. The driving range depends on the size of your battery and the consumption of the vehicle. The latter is influenced by your driving style, just with like an internal combustion car. The average range of an electric car is +/- 250 km.

Yes. The battery of your EV performs best at temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees. Colder temperatures in winter will affect your battery capacity and thus also reduce your driving range faster. This is because a battery is less efficient at cold temperatures and the consumption increases by, for example, switching on the heating, etc.

Yes. With Alphabet’s Add-On Mobility, an amount of between EUR 35 and EUR 100 less of the available budget can be invested per month and thus saved, which can be used separately to temporarily rent a van or car from our Alphabet Rent fleet for, for example, a family holiday or relocation.