Electric company cars are on the rise, and with them come new challenges for employers. A very practical question is how home charging works in day-to-day life. How is billing handled, how can costs be reimbursed, and what are the tax considerations?
This guide explains everything employers need to know about charging company cars at employees’ homes and how to integrate the topic safely and efficiently into a benefits or mobility strategy.
Employees charge their electric company car at their private residence, typically using a permanently installed wallbox in their garage or at their parking space. The electricity comes from the employee’s household supply.
More and more companies are switching to sustainable mobility and electrifying their fleets. This raises new requirements for charging infrastructure, not only at company sites but also at employees’ homes. For HR and fleet managers, that means new questions about tax, billing, and equipment.
More than 70% of EV charging takes place at home. If employers offer no solution or only a manual one, they risk employee frustration and avoidable extra work in payroll.
When employees charge their company car at home, there are essentially two models:
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To enable employees to charge at home and to allow employers to reimburse those costs, suitable technical equipment is needed. Home charging works best with a wallbox. Employers and employees should clarify in advance whether a private wallbox already exists and whether it meets the requirements for precise and legally compliant billing.
The wallbox must meet these requirements:
For tax recognition of the electricity used, a calibration law compliant wallbox is required. These wallboxes have a dedicated meter that must comply with EU standards for billing between employer and employee. Such a wallbox also allows a separate charging profile for the company car, so electricity costs can be shown accurately and transparently.
If the wallbox is also used to charge a private EV, in addition to calibration compliance you need access control for precise measurement and billing of energy and costs, for example via NFC or RFID. This ensures separate recording of consumption for private and business use.
To transmit home charging data for the company car automatically to the employer, the wallbox must be able to connect to the internet via LAN, Wi-Fi, or LTE.
Technical integration of the wallbox with existing company systems helps automate capture of charging sessions and feed the data into billing. With a cloud connection, charging sessions can be viewed and prepared in Excel for transfer to the employer.
Who owns the wallbox: employer or employee?
Ownership matters. It affects costs, repairs, flexibility, and obligations for both sides. If the company buys and installs the wallbox, it assumes full responsibility but also retains control over use and administration. Alternatively, the employee can install and own the wallbox at their own expense, while the employer only reimburses charging costs. Here is an overview of the pros and cons of each ownership model:
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