Blog & background
Practical articles about EV charging in Belgium: tariffs, charging cards and fast charging on the road.
Charging in the rain: is it safe?
Can you charge an electric car in the rain? Yes. What to know about wet plugs, puddles, thunderstorms, frost and a wallbox mounted outdoors.
Finding charging points: how to get the most from the map
Search chargers by address or municipality, filter by plug, power and operator, and know what the map does and does not show before you drive there.
Cutting the cost of fast charging: 7 practical tips
Fast charging costs more than charging at home, but the right card, a warm battery, stopping at 80 per cent and a charger that suits your car bring the bill down.
Electric vs petrol and diesel: how to compare running costs
Compare EV running costs with petrol or diesel using your own figures: a worked example per 100 km and per year, and why where you charge matters so much.
Calculating your EV's consumption: kWh per 100 km
How to work out your electric car's real consumption from your odometer and charging meter, what affects it, and how to estimate trip costs and range.
The emergency cable in a normal wall socket: is it safe?
Your EV often comes with a cable for a normal wall socket. How much it really charges, why hours of charging carry risks, and when it can still work.
Buying an EV charging cable: length, power and plug
Which Type 2 charging cable do you need for public AC chargers? Phases, amps, kW and length explained with worked examples, plus what to avoid.
Plug and Charge: charging without a card or app
Plug and Charge lets your car identify itself to the charger. How ISO 15118 works, what you need, what you gain and what to do when it does not start.
Your first electric car: a charging checklist
What to sort out before your first EV arrives: where to charge, a charging card, cable, energy contract and a worked example of monthly charging costs.
Paying at the charger: bank card and QR code
No charging card to hand? Here is how to pay ad hoc with a bank card or QR code, what it costs extra, when it makes sense and how to avoid scams.
Comparing EV charging cards: how to choose the right one
How to compare charging cards: start from your own charging habits, check the subscription, start fee and coverage, and see where the price differences really come from.
Tesla Supercharger for other brands: how it works
Can you charge a non-Tesla EV at a Tesla Supercharger? What you need, how pricing works and when it is worth it.
Free EV charging: where does it still exist?
Free chargers exist, but they usually come with a condition. What a free session really gives you, with a worked example, and when not to count on it.
Charging at the supermarket: handy or a trap?
What does charging during your shopping trip give you? Worked examples on speed, price and idle fees, and when you are better off using another charger.
Chargers for your business: where to start
Installing charge points as an employer? Work out how much power you need, how load balancing helps and when a charger on your site adds little.
Charging at work and with a company car
Who pays when you drive electric for work? Charging at the company car park, charging at home with reimbursement, a worked example and what to agree up front.
Home charging: the best way to drive electric?
Everything about home charging with a wallbox: cost compared to public charging, the Flemish capacity tariff, solar charging, and how to choose a smart charge point.
Fast charging on road trips: how to plan a long drive in an EV
Going on a trip with an electric car? Fast-charging networks, charging cards abroad, and how to spend less time waiting at the charger.
Public charging in Belgium: how it works and what it costs
Everything about public charge points in Belgium: the difference between AC and DC, how the price is built up, which charging card you need and how to request a charger in your street.
EV route planner apps: what to look for
An EV route planner works out charging stops, charging time and arrival percentage. These are the features that matter and the mistakes worth avoiding.
Charging in the Netherlands and Germany: what's different?
Driving your EV to the Netherlands or Germany: what your cable, card and bank card do, how to work out a trip and where costs can differ.
Charging abroad: roaming and your charging card
Does your Belgian charging card work abroad? Learn how roaming works, how to compare per-kWh and per-minute rates, and what to sort out before you leave.
EV charging etiquette: the unwritten rules at the charger
When to move on, how to park, what to do with cables, and how to handle busy or broken chargers. Practical habits for public charge points.
Charging in summer: what does heat do to your EV?
Warm weather costs little range but can slow down fast charging. With worked examples, tips for a fast-charging stop and when heat hardly matters.
Taking your electric car on holiday to France
How many charging stops do you need on the way to France? A worked example, tips on charging cards, overnight stays and a safety margin, and when to plan extra.
The charger is occupied: what now?
Every charge point taken? How to tell whether the car is still charging, when waiting pays off, when to drive on, and what to do about a blocked bay.
Broken charger: what to do and who to report it to
Charger won't start or shows an error? Here is how to tell whether the fault is the charger, your card or your car, who to call and how to find an alternative.
Bidirectional charging: your car as a home battery
What V2L, V2H and V2G mean, what you can do with them today, a worked example with made-up prices and what to check before you spend any money on it.
Home battery and EV: a smart pair or double the work?
Got solar panels and an EV? Find out whether a home battery pays off, with worked examples, a step-by-step calculation and the cases where you should skip it.
Charging with solar panels: how to get sunshine into your car
How to get solar power into your EV: solar-aware wallboxes, the 6 amp minimum charging current, a worked example and what to do if you are out all day.
Charging with a dynamic energy contract
How a dynamic energy contract works, what you could save charging at home with a worked example, when it does not pay off and what to set up in your wallbox or app.
3.7, 7.4 or 11 kW: how much wallbox power do you need?
How many kW should your wallbox deliver? Worked examples, the role of your car and connection, and the effect on your quarter-hour peak.
How to choose a wallbox: what to look for
How do you choose a wallbox? Power, fixed cable or socket, smart or basic, load balancing, metering and installation: the questions that make the difference.
Charging at home in an apartment: how to go about it
A charge point in an apartment building: what to discuss with the manager, private or shared installation, how load management works and what to do without your own space.
Paal volgt wagen: how to request a street charger near your home
No driveway or garage? Here is how to request a public charger on your street, what you need to apply and why it pays to start early.
Driving electric without a driveway: how to sort your charging
No garage or driveway? How to charge daily using public chargers, work or fast chargers, with worked examples and the cases where it doesn't fit.
Idle fees: how to avoid an expensive surprise
What an idle fee is, when it starts running, a worked example and practical tips so you never pay per minute for a car that is already full.
Why stopping at 80 percent at a fast charger is often smart
The last 20 percent at a fast charger costs a lot of time, and sometimes money. A worked example shows when stopping pays off and when to keep charging.
How to keep your EV battery healthy
Which charging habits spare your EV battery the most: charge level, fast charging, temperature and long periods parked, with a worked example.
The charging curve: why fast charging slows down as you fill up
Why your car pulls a lot of power at a fast charger at first and then eases off, with worked examples and tips to lose less time on a trip.
How to work out what a charge costs
Work out what a charge costs yourself: price per kWh, start fee, per-minute pricing and charging losses, with worked examples for home and public chargers.
kW and kWh explained: how to read charging speed
The difference between kW and kWh, with worked examples. Learn how to work out how long a charge takes and how many kilometres it adds.
Type 2 and CCS: which plug fits your car?
Type 2 for AC, CCS for fast charging: how to recognise both plugs, when you need your own cable and what to do if the charger and your car don't match.
Your first time charging at a public charger: step by step
Standing at a public charger for the first time? Here is how to pick the right charger, start and stop a session, and avoid the usual beginner mistakes.
AC or DC charging: what is the difference?
AC or DC at the charger: how it affects your charging time and your bill, with worked examples and tips for picking the right charger.
Skiing with an EV: how to plan the drive
Cold, mountains and a roof box all cut your range. Here is how to work out a ski trip in an electric car, plan charging stops and arrange a charge at your accommodation.
Electric driving in winter: range, charging and preheating
Why your range drops in winter, how much margin to plan for, and how preheating, driving style and a warm battery help at the fast charger.
What is an EV charging card and do you really need one?
What a charging card is, how the price per session is built up, and when your bank card or a QR code is enough. With a worked example and a short checklist.