TotalEnergies will install up to 2,000 new charging stations on the streets of all 19 Brussels municipalities before the end of June 2025. The French multinational energy and petroleum company announced this in a press release.

The news comes as quite a surprise because in recent weeks there has been a lot of fuss about an additional municipal tax on charging stations that the Brussels municipalities would like to introduce.

Part of charging points in lampposts

The first charging stations would in principle be available as early as September and early October. All the charging stations will be equipped with a solar panel allowing users to charge electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

About 20 to 45 charging points will also be integrated into light poles or lampposts, a technology not yet common in Brussels.

Concession for 10 years

The City of Brussels has awarded the concession for those 2,000 additional charging stations to TotalEnergies for a period of 10 years. The new rollout contributes to the Brussels Region’s goal of installing 22,000 publicly accessible charging points by 2035. 25% of these are already in place today. Starting this year, the Region aims to offer a charging station less than 150 meters from any Brussels address.

On the electrify.brussels website, you can not only check the location of current charging stations, but also report problems with the network or a shortage of charging stations in your neighborhood.

Contrary to Brussels legislation

The Brussels municipalities want to introduce a tax on charging stations in 2025. There is talk of 125 euros per year per plug. Some municipalities want even a higher tax. But despite the municipal autonomy to levy local taxes, according to outgoing Minister of Finance and Budget Sven Gatz (Open VLD), this intention goes against the December 1, 2022, ordinance to involve municipalities in the economic development of the region.

Today, TotalEnergies has 848 active charge points or 424 chargers, in the 19 Brussels municipalities, supplied with 100% green electricity and with easy charging from 7.4kW till 22kW AC.