D’Ieteren counts on installing 100 EDI chargers per week

D’Ieteren, Belgium’s largest car importer representing all Volkswagen Group brands, counts on installing 5 600 EV charging points in 2021 at private homes and companies. That’s more than 100 chargers a week. In 2020, the number of installed chargers went from 435 the year before to 1 805.

The chargers are delivered under the EDI brand (Electric by D’Ieteren), a daughter from the LabBox ‘stable’, D’Ieteren’s start-up studio focusing on the future of mobility. They’re often offered an extra promotion when you buy an electrified car from Audi, VW, Porsche, Škoda, and Seat (Cupra), but compatible with almost all plug-in hybrids and EVs from other brands.

Connected chargers

EDI offers simple monophase chargers up to 7,4 kW starting at €688 (without installation) to connected chargers (mono or three phases) with a modular capacity up to 22 kW. Those start at €1 039 and offer split billing, among others, a way for an employee charging at home his company car to have it refunded by his employer.

With the roll-out of the intelligent electricity counter, D’Ieteren sees more opportunities to come by 2022 in Flanders for EV owners wanting to have their batteries charged with self-produced solar energy or at times when prices are low. EDI offers complete services with consultancy, installation, and access to its EDI platform.

European charging network

Charging at home costs in Belgium on average 0,19 to 0,23 euros per kWh, or 3,8 to 4,5 euros per 100 kilometers, as calculated by eGear.be. But D’Ieteren also advertises access to 170 000 charging points throughout Europe via the EDI charging pass, without subscription fees. D’Ieteren claims the EDI card is compatible with 99% of public chargers in Belgium and 80% in Europe.

Only the actual energy is charged, but prices can be three times higher depending on the speed of charging, location, or even time of the day.

One in eight cars electric

The market for wall boxes at home is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, as plug-in hybrids and battery-electric cars from all manufacturers are becoming increasingly popular.

According to German analyst Schmidt Automotive Research report, one in eight new cars registered in Western Europe was already electrified in 2020. “2020 lived up to its claim of being the first genuine year where EVs moved from the slow hanging fruit lane to the mainstream,” says the report.

Chargers from Coolblue

Other players coming from totally different businesses see opportunities too. Like the Dutch internet retailer, Coolblue, selling mainly household electronics and appliances, added EV chargers (complete with installation by its own engineers) to its portfolio in the Netherlands.

In Belgium, more than a dozen companies offer home chargers, including Alfen, EVbox, Wallbox, and Webasto up to Tesla, among others, with starting prices between €500 and €900.