The Belgian car market seems to have finally turned toward electrification. But mobility organization Touring says the transition is largely due to company cars, and warns that issues remain for private buyers. For example, the ease and cost of public charging.
For the first time ever, there are more hybrid and electric cars on the road in Belgium than diesels. With 544.000 electric cars registered, their share is 9% of the total Belgian car park. Add to that 126.000 public charging points, plus the starting price of new electric cars, which has dropped to around € 20.000, and everything seems on track for total electrification.
Touring sees roadblocks
But Belgian mobility organization Touring warns that the electrification is running at two speeds. Company cars are going all in on full electric, with 80% of all EVs in Belgium registered by professionals. But private buyers remain hesitant. While companies benefit from an advantageous fiscal framework around EVs, private buyers still find the transition to battery-electric cars expensive, says Touring.
Competition from Chinese brands and the development of a more ‘basic’ EV offering might have pushed prices down to around € 20.000 or even lower, but that is still a relatively big investment for families. A well-developed second-hand market for affordable electric cars could ease the cost burden for private buyers, who often don’t buy new cars.
For Touring, rising fuel prices could incentivize certain user profiles to switch to electric cars. But the mobility organization also warns that you need to consider the full picture to get a correct view of costs, not just the purchase price.
Range, residual values, uncertainty about the future fiscal framework, whether or not it can be charged at home, and the price and ease of public charging, for example.
Lack of transparency when charging
Touring sees room for improvement in public charging. While there are 126.000 public charging points in Belgium, the organization says the user experience and cost transparency need to improve. “Charging an electric car should be just as simple and transparent as filling up with gas. Drivers need to know how much they’ll pay before they start charging,” says Touring spokesman Danny Smagghe.
But the question is if transparency is really as limited as Touring suggests. The European AFIR regulation requires charge point operators to display the cost per kWh, the starting cost, and hourly costs directly on the charging station or via a QR code. Moreover, users can see the cost in their charging card provider’s app. But of course, that means making an effort to check the prices.
The AFIR regulation also allows payment with a regular debit or credit card, which is mandatory for chargers with a capacity of over 50 kW. So for fast chargers, there is no need to get a charging card, although it might be cheaper.
No to ‘EV only’
Touring welcomes the transition and the lower emissions it brings, but stresses the need for technical neutrality. It does not believe the future of cars is solely electric and urges EU lawmakers to reconsider the 2035 deadline for sales of cars with an internal combustion engine.
The organization supports prioritizing emissions reductions, but stresses the need for feasible and affordable solutions. Touring cites the further development of renewable fuels and e-fuels, hydrogen, and other technologies that might change the automotive landscape.
