Fleet electrification does not start with buying cars but with the question of where and how they will charge. Well-designed workplace charging costs less than expected because cars park for a long time and power can be shared. A guide from design to billing.
Three company charging scenarios
| Scenario | Who charges | Typical power | What matters | IONT tech solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company cars in the company car park | fleet, cars park overnight or during working hours | AC 11 kW per space | load management, per-vehicle metering, RFID | e:car WALL PRO, e:car COLUMN |
| Employees with their own EVs | cars park for 8 hours | AC 3.7 to 11 kW | authorisation, billing as a benefit or for payment | e:car WALL PRO with RFID, IONT.info |
| Customers and visitors, semi-public charging | short stays of 1 to 3 hours | AC 22 kW, DC 40 kW | QR/card payment, OCPP, AFIR | e:car WALL PRO PREMIUM AFIR, e:car DC WALL 40 |
Most companies combine the first two scenarios. The key decision is not power but how charging will be controlled, metered and billed. That determines the choice of station.
How many stations and what power
A company car park has an advantage: cars stay for a long time. A car that drives 100 km a day needs 20 kWh, two hours on an 11 kW station. Ten cars on ten spaces with a total of 40 kW charge comfortably during working hours if the stations share power dynamically. Rule: plan for an average of 3 to 5 kW per space, not the full power of every station. The connection then comes out several times smaller and often no upgrade is needed.
Metering and billing: benefit, reimbursement or sale
| Model | How it works | What you need | Tax and accounting impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charging company cars | the company pays electricity like fuel | metering per space to allocate to vehicle and cost centre | operating cost, record for the logbook |
| Employee benefit | employees charge private cars free or for a nominal price | RFID cards, kWh record per person | non-cash income of the employee, check with your accountant |
| Charging for payment | employees or visitors pay per kWh | MID certified meter, QR/card payment or via an operator | sale of electricity; for public stations AFIR applies |
| Reimbursement for home charging | the employee charges the company car at home, the company reimburses | home wallbox with metering (SMART), export from IONT.info | travel reimbursement at a reference electricity price under national rules |
The e:car WALL PRO wallbox has certified metering for each outlet, 13.5 MHz RFID, a display with QR payment and OCPP 1.6J / 2.0, so it covers all four models. For company cars charged at an employee's home the e:car WALL SMART is enough: it meters the company car separately and the company sees it in the IONT.info app.
Obligations under AFIR and building law
- AFIR (the EU regulation on alternative fuels infrastructure) applies to publicly accessible stations: card or QR payment without registration, a transparent price per kWh, data availability. Semi-public charging for customers falls under AFIR; internal fleet charging does not. More in our article on AFIR.
- The EPBD directive and national building law require charging points and cable preparation in non-residential buildings with more than 20 parking spaces. In the Czech Republic this is the new Building Act; see the obligation to build a charging station.
- Inspections and operation. Company stations are reserved electrical equipment; the operator arranges periodic inspections, typically every 2 to 3 years.
Financing and subsidies for companies
In the Czech Republic the Záruka Elektromobilita programme (Ministry of Industry and National Development Bank) provided in its first call up to CZK 50,000 (EUR 2,000) per AC station and CZK 100,000 to 150,000 per DC station, together with a contribution of up to CZK 200,000 per passenger EV, on condition of financing through an NRB-guaranteed loan or lease. The first call is exhausted; the second is being prepared. Besides subsidies we offer instalments and station rental and for pilot projects a rental fleet to test a station before buying. Other EU countries have their own schemes; ask us for the current overview.
Project procedure in six steps
- Fleet analysis. Number of vehicles, daily mileage, dwell time, three-year electrification plan.
- Connection assessment. Spare capacity of the main fuse, switchboard location, cable routes, possibly a feasibility study.
- Design. Number and type of stations, load management, billing model, possibly a DC station for fast turnover.
- Financing. Purchase, lease, rental, subsidies.
- Implementation. Installation by a partner, inspection, administrator training, RFID and app setup.
- Operation. Consumption reporting, updates, service with parts in the Czech Republic.
Checklist for choosing a supplier
- Load management for the whole site, not just one station. Ask how many stations the system controls and how it behaves when communication fails.
- Metering on every outlet and data export for accounting. For selling electricity, an MID certified meter.
- Open protocols: OCPP for operators, Modbus TCP for site energy management and photovoltaics. A closed system ties you to one supplier.
- Service and parts in the EU with a guaranteed response time. Stations stand outdoors for ten years.
- Remote firmware updates so stations keep pace with legislation (AFIR) and new cars.
- References in a comparable operation: a fleet of similar size, an apartment building, a hotel.
- Complete delivery: design, installation, inspection, training, subsidy documents. Splitting between three firms delays and blurs responsibility.
Mistakes companies make when electrifying
- Sizing for the full power of all stations. Leads to an expensive connection upgrade you never use. Plan for 3 to 5 kW per space with load management.
- Buying a DC fast charger for cars that park for 8 hours. A DC station costs ten times an AC wallbox and brings nothing to a parked fleet.
- No per-vehicle metering. After a year nobody knows what each car costs and private use cannot be billed.
- Forgetting preparation for growth. Cable routes and switchboard reserve for double the spaces cost little at the first installation, a lot later.
- Handling the benefit without tax advice. Free charging of private cars is employee income; settle it with your accountant beforehand.
Why a Czech manufacturer
Company infrastructure should serve for ten years or more. IONT tech stations are made in Nové Město nad Metují in the Czech Republic, spare parts and service are in the EU, functions are added through online updates and the panel design can match your corporate identity. References from companies, hotels and municipalities are on the References page.
Electrifying your fleet?
We prepare the analysis, station design and load management as well as subsidy documents. For companies from 2 vehicles to hundreds, across the EU.
Summary in five points
- Company cars park for a long time; plan 3 to 5 kW per space with dynamic load management, not the full power of every station.
- Decide the billing model in advance: company cars, benefit, payment, or reimbursement for home charging.
- Metering on every outlet and RFID are the basis; for selling electricity add an MID meter and OCPP.
- Publicly accessible stations fall under AFIR; internal fleet charging does not.
- Use national subsidies, leasing or rental, and prepare routes for growth.
Často kladené otázky
How many charging stations does a company need for 10 electric cars?
Usually 5 dual-outlet 11 kW AC stations with central load management. Cars park during working hours or overnight; an average of 3 to 5 kW per space is enough, a total connection of 30 to 50 kW.
Can I let employees charge private cars for free?
Yes, it is a non-cash benefit. You need consumption records per person (RFID cards and station metering) and a tax assessment with your accountant. The alternative is charging for payment via certified metering.
How do I reimburse an employee for charging a company car at home?
A home wallbox with metering (e:car WALL SMART) records the company car's consumption separately; the company sees it in the IONT.info app and reimburses at a reference electricity price under national travel expense rules.
Does a company station need OCPP?
Not for internal fleet charging; the IONT.info app is enough. You need OCPP to connect the station to a public network operator, roaming or an external payment system. The e:car WALL PRO supports OCPP 1.6J and 2.0.
Does AFIR apply to a company car park?
Only to publicly accessible stations, for example for customers. Those must allow card or QR payment without registration and show the price per kWh. Internal charging of fleets and employees is not covered by AFIR.
How much subsidy does a company get for charging stations in the Czech Republic?
Záruka Elektromobilita provided up to CZK 50,000 per AC station, CZK 100,000 per DC station up to 40 kW and CZK 150,000 for larger DC stations, together with a contribution for vehicles. The first call is exhausted; the second is being prepared.