Mandatory: what now and what later?

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The new Flemish legislation is a transposition of European directives on the obligation to provide charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. It applies to 3 situations:

• New construction or major renovation of buildings that are not for residential use, have at least 10 parking spaces, and whose building permit is submitted after March 11, 2021. Here, 2 charging points must be immediately provided on a mandatory basis. At a later stage, it must also be possible to provide 1 in 4 parking spaces with charging infrastructure.
• New construction or major renovation of buildings that do have occupancy as a destination, have at least 2 parking spaces, and whose building permit is also submitted after March 11, 2021. Here there is no immediate obligation, but it should be possible to provide ALL parking spaces with charging infrastructure at a later stage.
• All existing non-residential buildings with more than 20 parking spaces must have at least 2 charging stations by Jan. 1, 2025. At least after 3 years, the numbers will be re-evaluated.

If this legislation is not complied with, the Flemish Energy Agency (VEA) can impose fines of up to 2,000 euros per charge point.

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Practical Tips

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So, in addition to the obligation to install charging points, there is also the more extensive obligation to enable the installation of (additional) charging stations now in the future. It is best to provide the necessary space and infrastructure for this immediately.

• It is appropriate to install a separate electric sign for the charging infrastructure. The size must at least provide for the mandatory number of charging points in that specific situation (see above). On the sign - per charging point! - at least have room for a circuit breaker, a type B differential circuit breaker and a kWh counter. Sometimes there are other devices in the board as well, so it's better to size it a little larger than too small.
• With a large number of charging points, you can of course provide to install multiple signs in phases. In doing so, make sure that there is at least enough space for the electric signs and the transformer(s).
• From the cable to the electric sign for the charging infrastructure, the diameter is best dimensioned for the power that will be needed in the future. Whether or not smart control of the power output will be used can be factored in from the beginning.
• Cable ducts and/or waiting tubes must also be provided to each charging point. Keep in mind that in addition to high-current cables, a UTP cable must also be provided each time. Given the many possibilities for cabling, it is sometimes better to provide this only when installing the charge point itself. So you don't have to lay the cables immediately, but make sure you can easily pull them out afterwards using the necessary cable ducts and/or waiting tubes.

We believe these recommendations are a minimum to not only comply with the current new legislation, but also to install and/or expand the necessary charging infrastructure in a smooth and efficient manner now and in the future.

With sustainability in our DNA, we naturally set a good example ourselves. In the parking lot of our Bruges office, visitors and employees have been able to refuel their cars electrically at our charging stations fed by green electricity since autumn 2020. Soon this will also be provided at the parking lot in our Ghent office. Curious about our experiences?

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What impact does the charging station requirement have on your buildings and what lessons do we learn from our own charging infrastructure? Contact Emmanuel Vierstraete for more info and advice: 050 40 45 30 or emmanuel.vierstraete@ingenium.be,