How to recharge your electric vehicle in Luxembourg?
Are you the proud new owner of a hybrid or electric vehicle? Tempted but not yet decided? To help you make the transition to electric vehicles, let us take you through the possibilities for recharging your vehicle in the Grand Duchy and beyond.
Charging at home
MyDiego is the brand set up jointly between the electricity supplier Enovos and the Fédération des Artisans du Luxembourg. It offers private individuals the opportunity to install a charging station for electric vehicles at home. Why install a charging station at home, you may ask?
While you can, of course, recharge your vehicle with a "normal" socket, they are not always easily accessible and it is recommended to avoid using extension cords to avoid the risk of overheating. What’s more, the charging speed is higher with a charging station, which is much more powerful than a conventional 2 or 3kW socket.
So if you want to have a charging system in your garage or backyard that offers the right safety conditions, you will need to pay between €1,717 and €2,770 for MyDiego. The power (11kW) and recharging time (5 to 6 hours depending on the type of vehicle) are the same.
So why the price difference you may ask? It is due to the option of closely monitoring dedicated electrical consumption (via the App or a web platform) so that you can have these consumptions reimbursed by your company, for example.
Moreover, some companies turn directly to leasing offers that include the installation of a charging station. If this doesn’t apply to you, did you know that the Luxembourg government contributes up to €750 towards the cost of installing a charging station at your home. And up to € 1200 for the most expensive option.
How does the installation work? It takes a few weeks from the time you contact the company to the time your station is put into service. In the meantime, an electrician comes to check your installation, sometimes makes changes to your electrical board and acts as an intermediary with your electricity network manager.
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. In fact, no fewer than 84 of these super charging stations are to be installed at 19 locations by 2023. Starting with the Berchem and Capellen service areas before the end of 2021.
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 the Chargemap to locate almost 270,000 charging stations throughout Europe. The company also offers a rechargeable pass that allows you to access and pay on most European charging networks. A final advantage of the service is that it relies on a community of over 800,000 electric vehicle drivers who add to the information for each zone on a daily basis.
Have you decided to go green? Good news - AXA Luxembourg backs environmental initiatives. Get a 15% discount on the insurance of a hybrid vehicle and 25% for electric vehicles. That’s not all, as AXA also insures any recharging equipment you may have fitted.
Want to know more? Contact one of our agents.
