“AlphaElectric helps companies switch to electric vehicles.”
In recent years, greening has become increasingly important within the mobility offer of companies. Government regulations and the wishes of drivers are boosting this trend. The Vivaldi coalition recently decided that all new company vehicles must be electric from 2026 if companies still want to benefit from any tax deductibility. However, this switch to electric driving involves many adjustments. It is therefore important to be well informed. That is why in this blog, we are interviewing Robrecht van den Broeck, an EV specialist at Alphabet. He tells us all about AlphaElectric.
Robrecht, what exactly does AlphaElectric involve?
“With our AlphaElectric service, we offer companies a smooth route to sustainability. We ensure the seamless integration of electric vehicles into the fleet, provide advice for an optimal balance between costs and tax benefits and help them reduce their ecological footprint.
We recently launched an online EV tool that provides an initial orientation for fleet managers. This tool provides advice based on a number of simple but essential questions. That way, you will immediately know whether it is possible and attractive enough to switch to electric driving. We focus on two main pillars in doing this: your daily travelling pattern and the possibilities for charging your vehicle.
We also offer you a handy e-guide. It tells you which aspects to consider when you want to integrate electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and the associated charging infrastructure into the fleet.
Finally, Alphabet can evaluate your current fleet with a Mobility Consulting Tool (MCT). Based on this, we can advise whether electric vehicles are the best choice for the company and its employees. Every company has its own eMobility needs. It is important to consider several factors: the price and the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the vehicle, the remuneration of employees and the company’s sustainability policy.
Based on the answers, we provide a customised mobility solution, including the home charging infrastructure. Thanks to our partner Eneco and their supply of 100% green energy, CO2-neutral driving and charging your vehicle is possible via AlphaElectric.”
Can customers also contact Alphabet personally?
“Of course! The available tools are merely what we recommend first. In addition, you can, of course, contact our consultants for more detailed, customised advice. They will guide you through the entire eMobility process and draw up a personal plan. In doing this, they consider the mobility parameters that are important to you (price, remuneration, sustainability). They carefully weigh up the interests of the company and the drivers and keep you informed of updates regarding tax law and current legislation. Our experts will also be happy to assist you with the fleet manager and with adapting your company’s car/mobility policy.”
What does the EV (or PHEV) financial picture look like?
“It is a fact that xEVs are more expensive to buy. But on the other hand, the government is encouraging the greening of fleets as much as possible through tax benefits such as 100% deductibility and minimum taxes. That is why it is so important to look at the overall picture and therefore have the TCO (total cost of ownership) calculated. This is often more favourable for companies and proves that xEVs can indeed be inexpensive. We are currently in a transitional phase where the advantage sometimes still varies. However, with the current tax rules, an EV will become the most advantageous option between now and 2026. A clear TCO analysis and the deductibility of an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine: diesel or petrol), which continues to decrease/stop altogether, are important factors to consider.
With the current tax rules, an EV will become the most advantageous option between now and 2026.
And what about charging?
“Research shows that 80% of EV charging is done at home. That is why we always recommend installing a charging station at home. That way, you are always sure of a place where you can charge your vehicle. As a result, any concerns the driver may have, are eliminated and charging is also done at a cheaper rate. It is also recommended to provide charging stations on the company site. In this way, you give your employees the opportunity to charge their vehicles easily without any stress. There are also semi-private charging options, which allow charging while shopping, for example.
According to EV Belgium, the local department of the European Association for Electromobility, there are currently 8,482 public charging points in Belgium. This corresponds to approximately 4,200 public charging stations. The government has also set additional targets to expand the public charging infrastructure with 30,000 extra charging points in Flanders and 7,500 extra charging points in Brussels.”
How can a company convince its employees to make the switch to an EV?
“First of all, by analysing the driving behaviour of the drivers: 80% drive less than 50 km/day, making any EV suitable for most journeys. Our online EV tool is a handy aid to perform this profile analysis and to make employees aware of it. The range of EVs is constantly growing, which means that for every budget category, there is a vehicle that can drive more than 200 km on a single charge.”
80% drive less than 50 km/day, making any EV suitable for most journeys.
“There are also solutions for those who occasionally want to make longer trips: by adding the add-on mobility option to your lease contract, an amount is set aside each month that allows you to use another vehicle temporarily for at least one day at a later time - when you need it. For example, you can lease another vehicle for a certain period to travel or choose a commercial vehicle for a move.
In addition, it is smart to allow your employees to experience electric driving for themselves. Let them drive an electric vehicle for a few days so they can experience what it feels like to drive an EV as well as what charging entails. This often helps to dispel the last remaining doubts and provide insight into the comfort that an EV offers. Want to bet that everyone is immediately won over by the quiet engine and fast acceleration? Last year, imec let its employees test the MINI Electric. The reactions to this pilot project were unanimously positive!”
A (mainly) electric fleet? imec tested it!
Below we would like to give you a look at the imec pilot project. Lore Haegemans, Mobility Manager at imec, talks about the test week.
“Since our test week in September 2020, the number of EVs at imec has doubled. Our fleet currently consists of 24% “green” vehicles. But with our new orders, that number will grow to 84%. The mobility week has certainly contributed to this.
We notice that providing information on electric driving is essential. The information session given by Alphabet the during mobility week was received very positively. Afterwards, there were few questions about the concept of electric driving. The questions we now receive are more practical in nature, for example, “when will I get a SmartCable?” or “how exactly does the HomeCharger installation process work?”. Here too, information continues to be very important for the smooth adoption of EVs.
Moreover, we clearly notice that employees who now drive electric are very excited about it. As soon as they drive electric, the initial range anxiety disappears. As a result, even more people become interested and motivated to choose an EV. So, we definitely want to repeat such an initiative!”
Would you like to know more about AlphaElectric? Take a look at our dedicated webpage.
