Brussels will penalize excessive charging at AC outlets. A fee will apply after 6 hours of parking.
Residents of Brussels, Belgium, have likely noticed that parking at AC stations is the cheapest way to park affordably in the city. That’s why, starting October 1, a so-called rotating fee will come into effect there, costing 0.06 euros per minute for stays over 6 hours between 9 and 22 hours. According to data collected by operator Sibelga, the average time spent at a charging station is 6 hours and 30 minutes, although the average amount of energy charged is only 18 kWh.
End to parking under the pretext of charging
The city estimated that it takes cars about 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge 18 kWh, so the much longer charging times must be due to other factors. Electricians occupying spots at charging stations cause traffic jams, even though the network of chargers in Belgium’s capital is constantly expanding. Sibelga claims to have 11,067 public charging points as of July 14. By 2035, 22,000 should be in place, but it seems this goal will be reached sooner, as there were zero charging points in Brussels back in 2018.
Charging is not expensive; depending on the provider, it costs between 0.29 and 0.5 euros (1.26–2.17 zł) per 1 kWh, with a minimum charge of either 5 or 10 kWh (the minimum threshold varies by provider; source). It’s easy to calculate that when charging 18 kWh over 6.5 hours, the owner of an electric car pays roughly 6 zł/h in Brussels, even at the highest energy rate. In cities where there’s no free parking for electric vehicles—compared to cities in Poland since the implementation of the Electromobility Act—it’s almost like getting free parking.
The fee for parking longer than 6 hours won’t be a financial burden on drivers (half an hour costs 1.8 euros, equivalent to 7.8 zlotys; source), but it will signal to them that other drivers might also want to use the infrastructure. Additionally, between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m., owners of electric vehicles won’t need to worry about excessive parking time, as there’s no vehicle rotation at night. In Brussels, one in four newly registered cars is a BEV, with electric vehicles accounting for 61 percent of business vehicles.
Editor’s note from Elektrowozu: Direct charging from a wall outlet is prohibited in Brussels, and using an EVSE is “not recommended,” even if someone lives at home with a spare outlet. This is due to the lack of communication between the outlet and the car (first scenario), which poses a fire risk. It is necessary to use a device that monitors the outlet and stays in communication with the car.
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