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Want to know how long it takes to charge your EV? Use the EV calculator!

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There are several reasons for this.

Charge point owners differ
Each charge point owner can set their own charging fee for their charge point. So, the costs of charging sessions may vary from one charge point to another. Blue Corner protects the driver by setting limits on charge point fees. For all Blue Corner charge points, you pay the same fee that was agreed upon in your subscription.

The connection fee differs
In many places, you pay a fee (usually per minute) for the time you are docked while the car is not charging. This is called a connection fee. This is because the number of public charge points is still limited and a non-charging car is occupying the space preventing others from using the service. At Blue Corner charge points, you always pay €0.01 per minute, except in the evening and at night.

1 kilowatt is 1,000 watts. The unit watt is a measurement of power and a kilowatt is 1,000 watts of power. This is a measure of energy density – the greater the power, the more energy can be transferred.
Kilowatt hour (kWh) is the measure of the energy content/battery capacity of your car. You can calculate the charging time for a full battery by dividing the battery capacity of your car by the charging capacity of your charge point.

Example: You drive a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV with a battery capacity of 12kWh and want to charge at a single-phase 3.7 kW charge point.

Battery capacity 12 kW / 3.7 kW charging capacity = 3 hours and 15 minutes charging for a full battery.

When charging a battery (of any kind), a special phenomenon occurs: the last 20% of the battery is topped up with so-called trickle charging. That is slow charging to retain the high-quality of the battery.

A charging cable has two contact points (plugs), one for the vehicle and the other for the charge point. The speed of charging depends on the charge point and the vehicle capabilities. Two different types of plugs and power sockets have been developed to charge an electric car. Currently, the Japanese and (most) American brands have a Type 1 socket and all European brands a Type 2 socket. In Europe, the Type 2 socket is the official standard, which is why all (public) charge points are equipped with this type of socket.

Where can I find public charge points?

Public charge points are currently being installed all over Europe. Several navigation systems have already recorded the locations. There are also websites and apps available to find a charge point in your area. Two examples we often use are oplaadpalen.nl and chargemap.com.

Can I charge anywhere?

Blue Corner has an agreement in the Benelux with almost all parties that operate public charge points. We ensure interoperability. Further afield, the creation of these roaming agreements is still in full swing. As a customer, you can always consult your customer portal or the Mybluecorner app. You will find an overview on it of all the charge points throughout Europe that you can access with our charging card or app.

Can I request a public charge point from my city or municipality?

This differs per municipality. Not all municipalities have yet drawn up policies to support residents in facilitating charging infrastructure for their electric cars. However, there are a number of common rules that many municipalities check for.

These are the conditions for applying for a charge point:

• If you own an electric car, you can request that a charge point be installed.
• Your request will only be considered if you are unable to install a charge point on your own property.
• The request to install a charge point must relate to a freely accessible public place. Places that are obstructed by gates, boom barriers, fences, and the like are excluded.
• The municipality owns the land, so it is always the final decision maker on the location of a charge point.
• A charge point can only be requested once for an electric car, regardless of whether ownership of the car is transferred to another owner.
• The driver has no exclusive rights to the use of a public charge point.
• Some cities or municipalities also offer other options for requesting a charge point in a public area. So, check with your city or municipality.
• Blue Corner collaborates with the City of Antwerp for the placement of public charge points.

Climate friendliness

• Reduced CO2 emissions (both in the production of the fuel and while driving)
• No emission of particulates and nitrogen oxides
• Less fossil fuels are needed

Sustainability

• Inexpensive: low kilometre price and lower maintenance costs
• Good for the economy: investment in sustainable innovation
• Increased depreciation (100%) of car purchase and costs
• Possibility of shortened depreciation period
• Greatly reduced benefits in kind (SG&A) for the professional EV driver

An electric car produces less carbon dioxide (CO2)

There are currently around 900 million vehicles on the roads of the world. Within 10 years, it will be more than a billion. These vehicles mostly run on petrol, diesel, or gas. So, the supply of fossil fuels is rapidly running out. The transport of the future will require finding alternative and sustainable sources of energy. For example, windmills and solar panels can be used to generate energy for electric cars.
Cars have become increasingly cleaner in recent years, thanks to new inventions, such as, catalytic converters and particulate filters. But even the cleanest car still produces carbon dioxide (CO2) because that gas is always released during the combustion process. CO2 is not toxic in itself, but it does contribute to the greenhouse effect and thus to global warming.
A fully electric car produces no CO2 at all. However, it is not necessarily climate neutral. That depends entirely on how the electric energy it runs on was generated. For example, wind or solar energy is much greener than electricity from an old-fashioned coal-fired power station. If you charge at Blue Corner, you are always assured of green power!
So, to realistically compare the CO2 production of electric and ‘ordinary’ cars, you have to examine the entire energy chain ‘from well to wheel’. The Dutch research institute TNO uses this method to measure future developments. According to their measurements, an average electric car in 2020 will produce about 35% less CO2 from source to wheel than an average combustion engine car.
And, even if the electricity is entirely generated in coal-fired power plants, an electric car will still produce 22% less CO2, according to TNO.

You can generate your own electricity

More and more Belgians are fitting solar panels to the roofs of their houses in order to cut their energy bills. However, you can also use these panels to charge your electric car. This is how you can really drive for (almost) nothing!

Broadly speaking, there are three types of cars that can run wholly or partly on electric power. Those with only an electric motor, the types equipped with an electric motor with a range extender, and the plug-in hybrids. What are the differences and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Fully electric (FEV)
Fully electric cars only have an electric motor. So, there is no need for expensive fuel. These also do not emit any harmful substances while driving. A longer trip with this type of car will require careful planning because the trip ends when the power runs out. For a fully electric car, this is usually after 150 kilometres. Then you will have to charge the car again.

Range extender (E-REV)
Electric cars with a range extender also run entirely on electricity. The difference is that there is a small combustion engine on-board for when the power runs out. The combustion engine does not drive the wheels. It charges the battery. So, you can continue the trip electrically. The electricity no longer comes from a charge point, it is generated using petrol or diesel. So, a range extender car will have to be refuelled.

Plug-in hybrid (PHEV)
A hybrid car has both a combustion engine and an electric motor. When you can also charge the batteries from a power socket, this is called a plug-in hybrid. A larger battery pack allows a plug-in hybrid to drive longer distances on electric power. When the power is gone, you continue to drive with the combustion engine.