Sales of electric vehicles have been growing exponentially for several years, especially among individuals. Nearly 45,000 vehicles of this type were registered in France in 2020 compared to just over 17,000 five years earlier according to data from the Association for the Development of Electric Mobility Avere-France, in this category of population.
However, acquiring an electric vehicle is still expensive compared to a conventional car, even if manufacturers have made a lot of progress in this area. Buying an electric vehicle also means for their owner to invest in a charging station or a wallbox for those who wish to charge their vehicle at home for more convenience. What costs are involved in purchasing and installing these essential charging systems? Our explanations.
What is the cost of a charging station or a wallbox for your electric vehicle?
Even if the owners of an electric vehicle have the possibility of using a simple household socket, or better, a so-called “reinforced” socket, to charge their car at home, the majority nevertheless opt today for the installation of a charging station or a wallbox, much more efficient equipment that ensures maximum security. Having a charging system for your vehicle at home is indeed more practical, more comfortable and is synonymous with saving time.
Today there are different types of charging stations which differ in particular according to their power which allows you to recharge your electric vehicle in more or less time, or others such as the wallbox classified in the so-called intelligent charging systems. The latter ensures safer, faster charging and in particular allows the owner of an electric vehicle to program charging times as they wish, in particular with the aim of taking advantage of the low prices offered by their electricity supplier contract. This very interesting feature for saving money is made possible by installing a dedicated application on a smartphone.
As you will have understood, the cost of a charging system for an electric vehicle varies significantly depending on the model you choose, that is to say its power or programming capacities in particular. The prices also differ depending on the choice of supplier. You can thus find first prices around 800 euros, but count more on a cost of 1,000 to 1,500 euros for a wallbox, one of the most efficient electric vehicle charging solutions.
What cost should a professional install a charging station or wallbox for their electric vehicle?
A charging station with a power greater than 3.7 kW or a wallbox for charging an electric car cannot be installed by the owner of an electric car himself. He must indeed ask for it to be set up at his home by a qualified and certified professional.
Indeed, the intervention of personnel for the installation of such equipment was made compulsory by a law of July 2017. This condition is also necessary in order to be able to benefit from existing public aid to finance the installation of a recharging system at home, aids that we detail below.
This professional can be an electrician or a specialized installer, and must comply with the specifications determined by the ADVENIR program of the Association for the development of electric mobility Avere-France. In particular, it must hold a label (the mention “Charging infrastructures for electric vehicles – IRVE”), issued by an accredited body such as Qualifelec or AFNOR, in order to be able to install charging stations with a power greater than 3.7 kW.
To help you choose the approved installer for your charging station or your wallbox, ADVENIR provides a list of professionals classified by city, whose qualifications are recognized in this area, on its website.
It is therefore necessary, in addition to the purchase price of a charging station or a wallbox for his electric vehicle, to provide for an additional cost for the intervention of a professional installer. This cost is on average 900 euros including material, but it can vary according to different criteria. Indeed, the work to be carried out by the approved installer to connect a charging system to an individual depends on the configuration of his home. Specific constraints related to the house itself or the need to route cables over a long distance to connect the charging station to the electricity meter can indeed increase the installation bill.
Public aid to help finance a charging station or a wallbox for your electric vehicle
If individuals who choose to acquire an electric vehicle are most often motivated by financial considerations since this type of car allows savings in energy costs, but also in the environment, it is true that choosing this type vehicle requires a significant initial investment. In addition to the price of the vehicle itself still higher than thermal cars, it is also necessary to plan the purchase of a charging station for those who wish to benefit from this facility at home.
Despite these constraints and to encourage individuals to turn more to clean vehicles, the State has put in place aid schemes that help finance these costs, which can be costly in the end.
Thus, if you are the owner, tenant or occupant free of charge of your main or secondary residence, you can benefit from a tax credit for the installation of a charging station. This represents 75% of the amount spent on the purchase and installation of this equipment, up to a limit of 300 euros per charging station. This financial assistance is not subject to any income condition.
On the other hand, for residents of an apartment building, this tax credit can be combined with the “Aide Solution Individuelle” bonus from the ADVENIR program of the Association for the development of electric mobility Avere-France. This is financial aid that covers up to 50% of the costs of purchasing and installing a charging station, up to a limit of 960 euros excluding tax per charging device.
However, the ADVENIR bonus is paid if the charging station or the wallbox meets specific technical conditions, including in particular the need to acquire equipment with a power of between 2.2 and 22 kW, or to comply with specific standards concerning their electrical connection. To benefit from this aid, a certified professional must also take charge of the installation of charging stations with a power equal to or greater than 3.7 kw.