ᐅ BEV – Battery Electric Vehicle Experiences and Recommendations

MachsSelbst schrieb:
You know, nordanney... the field service world is much bigger than that of a bank, where you handle daily business within a 50 km (30 miles) radius...

Yeah, driving 250 km (155 miles) daily and then complaining, you must be really stressed ;-)
So, 1,800 km (1,120 miles) over six days.

With just over 40,000 km (25,000 miles) per year, I can theoretically manage only about 175 km (110 miles) on each workday. But since I unfortunately work from home at least half the week, the average is closer to 400 km (250 miles) per working day in the car. My range of operation is a bit larger than you think – it’s individual business. With a BEV? Relaxed. As I said, with somewhere around 3,000-4,000 cars in the company fleet, it can’t work out that badly compared to your situation.

Maybe you just aren’t mentally ready to drive electric. That’s fine, but don’t just say “this all doesn’t work.”

My company car lease expires at the end of the year, and I’m currently seriously considering a Volvo EX60 P12. The 22 kW AC V2H feature is quite appealing. However, external charging costs are really expensive. From a purely financial perspective, flying with hand luggage on short intra-European flights, or flights lasting 1–2 hours, is often even cheaper and definitely faster—especially when you factor in charging stops. On top of that, the company is still unsure whether it will handle the 35-cent billing system from 01.01.2026, as it would create too much extra administrative work to bill each employee individually. I’d find it great if they did, as that would be much nicer than basically giving away rooftop solar electricity for a few cents.

If they don’t, it looks like I’ll end up with another six-cylinder diesel from Munich.

Araknis schrieb:
In addition, the company is still unsure whether they will adopt the 35-cent billing starting 01.01.2026 (January 1, 2026), because it would mean a significant extra effort to settle accounts individually with each employee. I would find that great, as it’s definitely better than giving away rooftop solar power for a few cents.

Where is the problem?
Here, it’s not the photovoltaic electricity that is compensated, but a flat-rate reimbursement for home charging expenses based on the current electricity tariff. This is managed—like in many companies in Germany—through Total Energies. No extra effort for the company. Also tax-compliant. Has been working like this for many years. It just requires a wallbox that is compatible for this purpose.

I don’t want to rule out that there are driving profiles where a battery electric vehicle (BEV) is not optimal with the current infrastructure, especially considering the chaotic situation regarding charging operators.

That’s why I support more EU-driven regulation (which has worked reasonably well in the mobile phone tariff market).

But if you’re paying more than 62 cents per kWh for fast charging, either you or your company is doing something wrong.
49 cents should be achievable, and with a suitable fleet and corporate tariffs, even 39 cents is actually possible.

nordanney schrieb:
In our case, the electricity from the photovoltaic system is not reimbursed; instead, a flat rate for home charging is paid out like an expense allowance.

Flat rate as in a lump sum? That was the case until the end of 2025. Now, export from the wallbox with a MID-approved meter is required, then kWh multiplied by 35 cents. Accounting would then receive my wallbox report every month and would be responsible for billing. That’s what I mean.

Araknis schrieb:
A flat rate as in a lump sum? That existed until the end of 2025. Now, export from the wallbox requires a MID-certified meter, then kWh x 35 cents. Accounting would then receive my wallbox report every month and handle the billing. That’s what I mean.

No, flat rate according to your own electricity tariff. So every employee submits their electricity contract to Total Energies and simply receives a reimbursement for the kWh charged via the wallbox. Our accounting department has nothing to do with it. That’s why you use an external service provider.
We never had a “flat rate.” No one would have agreed to that anyway, since there was a requirement to have your own wallbox for BEVs (now lifted due to the good charging infrastructure with low prices—at every Aldi Süd you can now charge without an app or card at 47 cents per kWh (200 kW charger)).

Wallbox with RFID reader (and integrated meter, which is of course required, but mandatory for us) and connection to Total Energies
==> every business charging session is reported online directly to Total Energies (for private uses by friends or the second car, there is a separate chip/card)
==> Total Energies issues a monthly invoice and pays out the respective amount or charges the employer or leasing company
==> This is like an expense reimbursement. It does not appear on the payslip, no tax issues for employer or employee. Only the pure electricity price is reimbursed, no share of fixed fees
==> no 35-cent rule (I had never heard of that until your post); it has been running as described for me since the end of 2020

P.S. I actually only know companies that do this through a service provider. Almost always Total Energies.