# 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. Published: 2026-03-31 · Language: en · Source: https://laadpaalvinden.be/en/blog/ev-charging-without-driveway/ Without a driveway or garage, a wallbox is off the table. You can still drive electric, but you have to build a charging routine yourself. Below you will find how that works in practice, roughly what it costs and when it doesn't fit. ## Start with the numbers Many people assume they need to charge every day. Usually they don't. Take someone who drives 250 km a week at 18 kWh per 100 km. That is 250 x 0.18 = 45 kWh per week. At a public 11 kW AC charger, if your car can take that, you are done in about 4 hours. If your car only takes 7 kW, it is a little over 6 hours. So you charge for one evening a week, or two shorter sessions. Work this out with your own mileage, because your whole routine depends on it. ## Charging on the street In many municipalities there are public AC chargers in residential streets. On the [map](/en/map/) you can see which ones are near you and whether they are free. Here is how to go about it: 1. Find the chargers within a few minutes' walk of your front door. 2. Check at different times whether they are free: a weekday at 7 pm, a Saturday morning, a rainy Sunday. 3. Get a [charging card](/en/blog/what-is-an-ev-charging-card/) or app that works on those chargers in advance, so you don't have to work out how to pay in the rain. 4. Pick a regular evening, and charge at night rather than during the day, when you are more likely to find a free charger. The classic mistake is charging to 100% and then leaving the car there. Many chargers apply an idle fee after a while. How that works and how to avoid it is covered in our article on [idle fees](/en/blog/avoid-idle-fees-charging/). ## Requesting a charger No charger near you? Some municipalities let residents request one. The conditions differ per municipality and change over time, so ask yours what applies now. You will find more in our piece on [requesting a street charger near your home](/en/blog/request-street-charger-near-home/). ## What does it cost? Without your own charge point you pay more per kWh than at home. How much differs per operator and per moment, so the amounts below are made up for the sake of the calculation. Fill in your own rates. Say a kWh costs 0.30 euro at home, 0.55 euro at a public AC charger and 0.75 euro at a fast charger. For your 45 kWh per week you would pay: - at home: 45 x 0.30 = 13.50 euro - public AC charger: 45 x 0.55 = 24.75 euro - fast charger: 45 x 0.75 = 33.75 euro The difference between home and the public charger is 11.25 euro a week, or 585 euro a year. With the [charging calculator](/en/charging-calculator/) you can enter your own rates. ## Charging at work or at the supermarket Does your employer have a charge point? Then you top up during your working day. Ask what you have to pay and who can use it. If you drive a company car, different arrangements sometimes apply, which you can read about in the article on [charging at work](/en/blog/charging-at-work-company-car/). Do you do a weekly shop anyway? Then a charge point at the supermarket or shopping centre can become your weekly session. Rates and rules about blocking the bay differ per location. Read them before you plug in. ## Fast charging as a routine Some drivers without a driveway charge once a week at a fast charger. Take a 60 kWh battery. From 20% to 80% that gives 36 kWh, so you need a little more than one session a week for 45 kWh. It costs more per kWh, but you are done sooner and you don't have to spend an evening at a charger. How long a session takes depends on your car and the fast charger. Fast charging is also meant for the road, not as a replacement for overnight charging. The charging speed also drops as the battery fills up, which you can read about in the article on the [charging curve](/en/blog/charging-curve-fast-charging-slows/). ## Shared car park or apartment Does your building have a shared car park or garage? Then a shared charge point is sometimes possible. The decision lies with the co-owners or the landlord, so start with a conversation with your building manager or landlord. Our tips on [charging in an apartment](/en/blog/ev-charging-in-apartment/) will help you further. ## When this doesn't fit Without your own charge point your routine becomes much more fragile. It fits less well if: - there is only one charger within walking distance, and it is often occupied - you drive a lot of kilometres every day and can't charge anywhere else - you can't easily plan a fixed charging time - you don't want to spend time looking for a free charger So test it before you buy a car. Try out for a week where you would charge, with the car you have in mind, and note how often a charger was occupied or out of order. Looking for chargers near you? Open the [map](/en/map/) and see what is within walking distance.