How to recharge your electric vehicle in Luxembourg?

Charging at home

Electris is the joint brand of the electricity supplier Enovos and the Fédération des Artisans du Luxembourg. It offers private individuals the option of installing an electric vehicle charging point at home.

It is certainly possible to charge your vehicle using a conventional domestic socket (2 to 3 kW), but this solution is slow and unsuitable for daily use:allow up to 20 to 30 hours for a full charge, depending on the battery capacity. In addition, prolonged use of a standard socket or extension leads presents overheating risks.

Which electric charging point should you choose?

The choice of installation depends on several specific technical criteria:

• The reinforced socket (3.7 kW): an intermediate solution, reducing charging time but still limited for large batteries. Suitable for small vehicles or low daily mileage.
• The domestic wall-mounted charging point (wallbox) 7.4 kW or 11 kW: it's the benchmark solution for private individuals. It allows a full charge in 4 to 8 hours depending on the vehicle, ideal for overnight charging.
• The 22 kW wallbox: maximum alternating-current power for domestic use, but not all vehicles can make use of it. This should be checked against your vehicle's specifications.

The power you choose depends directly on your daily mileage and the battery capacity of your vehicle. For a driver covering 50 km a day, a7.4 kW wallbox is more than sufficient. Beyond that, a higher output may be relevant.

Please note:the capacity of your existing electrical installation may limit your choice. An electrician will check your switchboard before installation and carry out any necessary adaptations.

To have a charging system installed safely in your garage or driveway, you should expect to pay between €1,717 and €2,770 with Electris. The price difference is down to the option of monitoring your electricity consumption in detail via an app or web platform, which is useful if your employer reimburses these costs.

As for the installation time, you should allow a few weeks between the first contact and commissioning: an electrician checks your installation, makes any necessary changes to your electrical panel and acts as intermediary with your network operator.

Charging at public charging points

Nearly 800 charging stations are now available on the public highway in Luxembourg, operated by the network operator Creos under the brand name Chargy. Located in hospitals, car parks or motorway service areas, these 22kW charging stations are spread throughout the country. Visit the website chargy.lu to locate them.

How does it work? To charge your vehicle at a Chargy station, you need to sign a contract with an electricity supplier: Enovos, BLUEenergy, Sudstroum etc. The supplier will then provide you with a Chargy MKaart that will allow you to pay for the electricity at the rate specified in your contract.

More charging power

The number of charging stations is gradually increasing and there are now Superchargy charging stations on major roads with a power of up to 160 kW. This type of installation makes it possible to take the battery level from 20 to 80% in less than 35 minutes. It should be noted that, to date, most cars have a charger that does not exceed 130 kW.

However, Luxembourg is anticipating the need to remain at the forefront of the transition to electric vehicles.

Charging your electric car outside Luxembourg

While electric vehicles have been successfully adopted on short, urban journeys, long journeys continue to generate a certain amount of concern among owners. To travel outside Luxembourg's borders with peace of mind, check with your operator to see if it has roaming agreements with foreign operators.

Another option is to use apps such as Chargemap to locate more than a million charging stations across Europe. The company also offers a rechargeable pass that allows you to access and pay for most European charging networks. The final advantage of the service is that it relies on a community of more than 3,000,000 electric vehicle drivers who enrich the information for each area on a daily basis.

Grants to help you install a charging point

The Luxembourg Government provides financial support for the installation of domestic charging points as part of its climate policy. A grant covers part of the cost of installation, with a ceiling of up to €1,200 depending on the option chosen, and at least €750 for a standard installation. To benefit from this, the charging point must be smart (controllable), installed by an approved professional, and the home must be located in Luxembourg. Conditions differ depending on whether it is a single-family house or a jointly owned property (where the agreement of the other co-owners may be required). As the amounts and conditions change regularly, it is recommended to check guichet.lu before starting your works.

What risks and safety measures should be taken?

A domestic charging point, when correctly installed, is a safe solution. However, it is important to be aware of the risks associated with a non-compliant installation. Overloading the domestic electrical network, a short-circuit or, in the most serious cases, a fire may occur if the installation is not adapted to the required power.

This is why it is essential to use a certified installer, who can check the compliance of your switchboard and fit an appropriate residual-current circuit breaker

with proper earthing. These devices considerably reduce the risks in the event of a fault.

From an insurance perspective, installing a charging point at home may have an impact on your Home insurance. It is recommended that you declare the installation to your insurer: an approved charging point that is correctly installed is generally covered, but failure to declare it could compromise your compensation in the event of a Loss. Feel free to contact your AXA advisor to review your policy.