Index
Electric car (general)
1. Which electric cars are currently available?
The EV database website contains an overview of all electric vehicles that are currently or will soon be available. This website offers a good overview if you are in the orientation phase of selecting a new electric car. In addition to technical data, the EV database provides accurate real-world fuel consumption per car under various conditions.
2. How can I best orient myself when choosing an electric car?
Our employees will, of course, be happy to advise you on choosing the right car. When trying to decide on the choice of an electric car, we recommend, among other things, the EV helpdesk in combination with theElectric Drivers Association's app. The EV database contains an overview of all (soon to be) available electric cars and E-Drivers provides you with the latest news about electric driving.
3. Does an electric car suit my travel habits?
The answer to this question depends on several factors. For example, are you willing to adjust your travel habits, or do you want to continue travelling as usual? Can you charge at home and/or at work, or are you dependent on public (fast) chargers? What is within your lease car budget? These are all factors that come into play when answering this question. Today, electric cars in the smallest segments have a driving range of roughly 150 km. In the middle class, it is about 250-400 km, and in the higher classes, 450 km. This often means that the average Dutch person only has to charge their battery once or twice a week. This means the car can usually be charged when you are at home or your destination. So, an electric car fits in with many Dutch people's travel habits without many adjustments. In fact: you will never have to waste time refuelling again! Are you a frequent business driver with several tightly scheduled appointments in one day? Then it is important to think carefully about your choice of an electric car. Combining a large battery, an efficient car, and a car with the fastest charging facilities is important. If you drive more than 350km in a day, planning your appointments to combine with charging options on the road or at your appointments will play a greater role. In the beginning, you may have to spend more time planning. A fully electric vehicle will not suit your travel habits only if you regularly drive hundreds of kilometres a day and can't or won't adjust your travel habits.
4. How long does it take to charge an electric car?
When charging, a distinction can be made between charging at home via a plug, charging at home via a charging point, charging at a public charging station on the road, or fast charging on the road. The plug at your home takes the longest and is only recommended for occasional use. How fast your car charges at the home charging point or the public charging station depends on both the charging point and the car. Based on the average car and the average charging point, the charging time here is about 5-6 hours. With the fast charger, charging time depends not only on the charging technology of the fast charger but also on the car. These speeds can be found in kW on the fast charger. If you choose a fast charger that is too slow, you charge too long; if you choose a fast charger that is too fast, you keep it unnecessarily occupied for other electric cars that can handle higher speeds.
On average, electric cars here charge from 20-80% in 30 minutes. The first and last 20% are usually slower, but in practice, they are usually not charged with a fast charger.
5. What kind of apps do I need?
That can differ per person. If you choose a Tesla, you need the Tesla app to unlock the car, for example. If you choose to include a charging product in your lease rate, it is advisable to link it in the app of the relevant supplier. An overview of public charging stations can be found on www.laadpalen.nl ; or via the app of a charging card provider, for example the NewMotion EV Charging App , or Chargemap . To use Fastned, the fast-charging station, you need a FastNed account. In addition, we recommend that you have a QR code reader app. On most mobile phones, you can read a QR code with the camera. This allows you, in case of an emergency, to use a public pole if your charge card is not accepted.
6. Damage to your EV, what's the difference with damage to a non EV car?
In principle, there is no difference for lease car drivers than with a car with a combustion engine. It is all handled the same way. However, the repair process can be different for the body shop as they have to follow special safety regulations. Damage repair for EVs can also be slightly more expensive as a result, but that is more brand-dependent than EV-dependent. For example, Tesla is more expensive compared to the competition.
7. Stranded with your EV, what should you pay attention to?
In principle, this is no different with an EV, because just like with a car with a combustion engine, you call the ANWB/Driver Care, and it will be solved for you. The ANWB knows what to do: tow it to the nearest charging station/fast charger. Or if it is a technical malfunction, just like with a car with a combustion engine, tow it to the nearest garage.
Charging point
1. Do I have to use a charging station with my electric car?
No, this is not always necessary. If you do not have your own parking space or garage at home, you cannot place a charging point. You can also use a public charging point of your municipality in your street, or perhaps charging at work will suffice. If you are not sure whether a charge point is needed, you can always discuss your situation with us.
2. Can I lease a charging point?
Yes, that's possible. With ALD Electric, ALD Automotive offers a total solution for electric driving, including a charging point for the home or office. This is a future-proof charging point so that in a few years, when you start driving your next (lease) car, this pole will still be usable.
3. What should I do if I already have a home charging point and am going to lease an electric car from ALD Automotive?
Do you already have a home charging point? Then it can be beneficial if we take out a hosting subscription for you. To do this, you will have to send us the serial number of your home charging point. Our employees are happy to provide you with advice.
4. What is a hosting subscription?
Our charging station comes with a hosting subscription as standard. The charge point contains a SIM card that is connected to the back office of the charge point supplier. As a result, they are always connected to the charging point and can assist remotely in the event of a malfunction and settle the electricity costs with you. In short, the hosting subscription offers:
- Remote reading and administrative processing of the charging transactions;
- Settlement/compensation between lease driver, lease company and employer;
- Insight into charging transactions via an online environment, an private area for your transactions, your invoices and the map with charging points.
5. How does automatic reimbursement work?
6. What do I need to be able to be reimbursed automatically?
An automatic settlement/compensation takes place between the lease driver, lease company and employer. As a result, this service can only be offered at a home charging point of one of our partners: ENECO, NewMotion or ChargePoint. In addition, it is a must to use a charging product (pass or key) from the same supplier as the supplier of the home charging point. Finally, you need a hosting subscription that we include in the lease rate for you. Do you have a NewMotion home charging point? Then it is also necessary to connect your card and charging station. You can read how that works here .
7. I want two charging keys, is that possible?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to use several of the same charging products. A charging key and a charging card are possible.
8. Can someone else also charge at my charging station?
You can set it up in your account whether other people can use the pole, so-called 'guest use'. Don't forget to turn this off if you don't want to use this feature anymore.
9. How does the Management & Maintenance subscription for charge points work?
The Management & Maintenance subscription includes the following:
- 24/7 services: support to resolve malfunctions and/or wear;
- Solve problems concerning operation/usage of the charge point;
- Help by phone, email or online;
- Online software updates of the charging station.
10. What to do if my charging station malfunctions?
If your charging station has a malfunction, you can first try to solve it yourself by performing a hard reset. Switch off the fuse in the meter box to which the charge point is connected for ten minutes. Then turn it back on and wait for the charge point to reset. This may take a few minutes. Then try charging again. Still doesn't work? Please contact the customer service of your charging station supplier:
- Eneco +31 (0)88 170 7700
- ChargePoint +31 (0)20 888 6342
- New Motion +31 (0)88 010 9500
11. How do I arrange to move my charging station?
To move your charging station, we need your current address, new address and moving date. We will request two quotes for you for this: one for disassembly at the old address and one for assembly at the new address. You should always personally oversee the physical relocation of your charge point from the old address to the new.
12. Can a meter box have a charging station installed if I have solar panels?
It is possible to use your solar panels to charge your car.
Charging
1. What's the difference between kW and kWh?
The abbreviation kW (kilowatt) is the unit of power for electrical energy. The abbreviation kWh (kilowatt-hours) is the amount of electricity produced/used in one hour. The battery size is indicated in kWh and the capacity of an electric car or charging station in kW.
2. What is the difference between AC and DC charging?
AC is alternating current. It comes from the wall outlet. DC is direct current. You can store this in a battery. With AC charging, the car uses an inverter in the car, called the On-Board Charger, which converts the current from AC from the charging station or socket to DC to store in the battery. With DC charging, also known as fast charging, the inverter is located in the fast charger.
3. What is V2G, Vehicle2Grid, or bi-directional charging?
The car is charged when the electricity production exceeds the demand.
At times when demand exceeds supply, the car can deliver some of the energy from its battery pack back to the electricity grid. It sounds simple, but it does require the necessary adjustment to both the car and the charging station. At the moment, bi-directional charging is mainly still in the experimental phase and has not yet been applied on a large scale in practice.
4. What charging cables are provided as standard with my car?
All electric cars leased through ALD Automotive come with a Type 2 charging cable for public charging points as standard. Some cars are equipped with a 230V charging cable as standard so that in case of emergency you can charge at home or on the road using a normal socket. Do not use it every day for normal car charging. This one is really meant for emergencies. Not all sockets can handle the high wattages needed to charge your electric car. Feel to be sure after a while if the socket gets warm; if so, stop charging, or (if possible) reduce the charging speed of your car. Not all cars are supplied with this cable as standard. Sometimes it is available separately as an option or accessory. No cable is required for fast charging. Do you want to charge at home every day? Then use a wallbox/charging station.
5. Which charging stations will accept my charging card?
With your charge card, you can use any public fast-charging point in the Netherlands. You can easily find the nearest charging points in My ALD. Outside the Netherlands, the number of charge points you can use depends on what charge card you have. Most charge cards now allow you to use many of the fast-charging points even in other countries. An overview of public charging stations can be found on www.laadpalen.nl or via the app of a charging card provider, such as the NewMotion EV Charging App or Chargemap.
6. Can I use my charge card abroad?
Most charge cards now allow you to use many of the fast-charging points even in other countries. This does depend on your charge card, however. If you use a NewMotion/Shell Recharge charge card, you can also find the foreign charge points where you can use the charge card in the NewMotion EV Charging App. An overview of the charge point operators affiliated with the Eneco charge card in each country can be found here.
7. Where can I charge outside the Netherlands and what are the rates?
For an overview of all charging stations outside the Netherlands, download the "Charging station App" from the App Store or Google Play store. The app also displays the rate, which can differ from one charging station to another.
8. What should I do if it turns out that my pass doesn't work in other countries?
The general advice when abroad is to have a credit card on you at all times. You can link your card to an app in an emergency if there is a different app at a charging station. This can often be done via a QR code at the charging station.
9. What else do I need to consider if I go abroad with an electric car?
Plan your trip
When planning the route, take the charging locations into account in advance so you're not faced with surprises. How often you have to charge also depends on the size of your battery, as this determines the range of your car. In other countries, just as in the Netherlands, you have to negotiate public and private charging stations. Depending on your card, you can also use public charging stations abroad. Don't forget to check whether there are charging options in your accommodations en route and at your destination.
Take a shorter action radius into account
Traffic jams are not only boring; they can also mean you have to charge earlier than planned. High or low temperatures or strong winds can also lead to reduced battery performance. And when you finally arrive at your charging location, you may find that all charging stations are already occupied. For these reasons, you should also map out alternative charging locations when planning your trip. This gives you flexibility and can save you a lot of stress.
Check which cables you need
Although most countries use the "standard" Type 2 cables, there could be different connections in the country you're visiting. Charging stations with Type 3C plugs still exist in France and Italy, for example. In these countries, however, there are so many alternatives with Type 2 connections that it is no longer necessary to carry a separate cable or adaptor. Before departure, check whether the connection of your car is customary in the country you are visiting. (One way of doing this is through the app of the charge card provider.)
10. Can I use my charge card at Fastned?
At Fastned you can simply use your charge card to activate the fast charging session. It is also possible to link your charge card to your Fastned account so you can charge with your Fastned App using your charge card.
Costs
1. How much does electric charging cost?
The rates differ according to the charging station provider. In addition to a kWh price, some suppliers charge a starting rate or time rate. The costs can also depend on which charge card you use. Most charge card providers have their own app that gives you insight into the rates per charging location.If you use the charge card from our partner Eneco, the costs are the same for all charging stations. If you have a NewMotion/Shell Recharge charge card, you can use the NewMotion EV Charging App to access information about the charging rates at the various charging stations.
2. When is an electric car cheaper than a fuel car?
This will obviously depend on how much you drive each day, how many years you continue to drive a car and what category your car falls into. Depending on the car and the duration of your lease contract, the tipping point these days is often between 20,000 and 30,000 km per year. But because this depends on a number of factors, our employees will be happy to provide you with tailor-made advice.
3. What are the financial advantages of electric driving?
If you drive a private lease electric car, in addition to any purchase subsidy and elimination of road tax, you enjoy lower costs per kilometre because electricity is cheaper than fuels. As a business lease driver, you will also enjoy a lower addition rate. In 2023, there are 2 rates for the additional taxable benefit: 16% and 22%. The addition rate depends on the car's CO2 emissions. The emission limits are reset every year.
In 2023, only certain cars with no CO2 emissions will fall fully into the 16% rate. The reduced rate of 16% applies to hydrogen-powered cars and cars powered entirely by integrated solar cells. The solar cells must have a capacity of at least 1 kilowatt peak and the battery must not contain lead. This percentage applies for a period of 60 months. After this, the percentage will be reset according to the rules in force at that time.
For other zero-emission cars, the 16% addition only applies up to and including a list value of €30,000. For the part above that, the 22% additional tax rate applies.
4. What does the energy price ceiling mean for the cost of electric charging?
From 1 January 2023, a price ceiling on energy will apply to all households and other small consumers. For electricity, the maximum rate is reduced to € 0.40 per KWh and the maximum consumption is increased to 2,900 kWh. For energy consumption above the ceiling, households and other small consumers pay the tariff as included in the energy contract.
Cheaper ceiling electricity
During the elaboration of the temporary price ceiling, the government decided that the maximum rate for electricity will be reduced to € 0.40 per kWh. That was previously € 0.70. In addition, the electricity consumption covered by the price ceiling will be increased from 2,400 kWh to 2,900 kWh. This means that a larger part of electricity consumption falls under the ceiling and that households and other small consumers pay less for it. The maximum rates of the price ceiling concern the variable supply rates, including energy tax and VAT.