Yes, you can charge your electric car at work, but under certain conditions. Charging depends on the rules set by the employer, the type of vehicle and the equipment available. What does French law say, who pays for the electricity and when is charging allowed at the workplace? Here is an overview.
Key takeaways:
- Charging your electric car at work is not an automatic right.
- When charging is allowed, it is usually paid for by the company, unless rebilling is planned.
- The rules may vary depending on the type of vehicle (personal car, company car or pool vehicle).
- The employer can set rules for using charging stations (time slots, access, monitoring, billing).
- Providing charging stations is part of a regulatory and CSR framework, particularly under the LOM law.
An overview of workplace EV charging policies
Right to plug in, pre-equipment and internal rules: what are companies' current obligations regarding EV charging in France?
Is there a right to plug in at work?
No automatic right for employees
There is currently no right to plug in at work, in the sense that an employer cannot be required to install a charging point at an employee's request. However, since 2012, companies with a private car park have had pre-equipment obligations, and since the 2019 LOM law, obligations to install EV charging stations.
Find out more about the LOM law 2025-2026 and companies' obligations.
Difference with the right to plug in for shared residential buildings
Since 2020, owners and tenants living in shared residential buildings in France have had a right to plug in. This allows them to have an EV charging station installed for their vehicle. This right applies to residential buildings, but not to companies.
Pre-equipment and installation of charging stations: what the law says
Whether for new, renovated or existing buildings, the law includes an obligation to pre-equip private car parks. It varies depending on the type of building, building permit dates and car park size, but always sets a minimum number of spaces to pre-equip.
However, pre-equipment, which consists of installing the electrical circuit in anticipation of a future charging station, does not allow electric vehicles to be charged.
That is why, in 2019, the Mobility Orientation Law (LOM) added a requirement to install charging points to this pre-equipment obligation.
From 1 January 2025, car parks with more than 20 spaces must therefore be equipped with at least one charging station. This charging point will not necessarily be available to employees for personal use. It all depends on the company's decision.
The company's decision
Depending on company policy, charging stations may be used only by the vehicle fleet or by all vehicles, including employees' personal cars. This is up to the employer.
To find out which rules apply, refer to the company's EV charging policy. It sets out the rules and conditions for using the charging stations.
To give everyone access to the charging points, it is essential to set certain rules, which may take the form of time slots or a booking schedule.
A charging station monitoring solution makes it easy to apply these rules: access by profile or badge, and tracking of charging sessions and consumption.
A company can therefore refuse its employees access to its charging stations. But open access is far more beneficial, in several ways.
The benefits of a charging station usage policy
For the company, installing and providing EV charging stations is part of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This approach encourages businesses to improve their impact on society, whether on environmental, social or economic issues.
By promoting clean mobility, the company projects a positive brand image, showing it cares about environmental issues and the well-being of its employees.
For employees, access to a charging station is a real convenience. According to Avere France, 90% of EV users plug in at home or at work. This saves them detours to public charging points and frees up time and mental load. Access to a charging station is an asset that makes the company more attractive, just like reimbursing public transport costs. But it is a benefit that can be difficult to put in place, particularly because of its cost.
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The challenges for companies of installing charging stations
Installing one or more charging stations in a private car park raises many questions for a company, including cost and the management of energy resources.
Installation and maintenance costs
Pre-equipment, like installing a charging station, is a cost for a company. Depending on the works required and the equipment chosen, prices can rise very quickly. Maintenance costs must also be taken into account.
The French government and regions are aware of this issue and have introduced various financial support schemes and tax advantages to help companies with their transition to electric mobility. The City of Paris offers to cover up to 60% of the cost of pre-equipment, up to €4,000. Companies in automotive services and short-term vehicle rental are eligible for the Advenir programme.
Managing energy resources
Although electricity is cheaper than petrol or diesel, charging electric vehicles is still a cost for a company, especially when employees charge their personal cars.
To optimise electricity consumption and avoid demand peaks, it is important to define a charging station usage policy, as mentioned above.
It can specify whether or not the employee must reimburse the cost of charging, as well as the billing terms. It can also set rules for sharing charging stations and avoiding conflicts of use. To optimise costs, employees may be asked to use the charging stations only during off-peak hours, for example.
Charging your personal electric vehicle at work is therefore possible, and even encouraged by the French government. But companies do not always allow it, even though it has advantages. Installing an EV charging station involves expenses and setting up a new energy resource management system.
That is why Chargemap Business has developed various tools to help companies manage their energy resources. These include charging rebilling, which makes it easy to identify private charging sessions and simply manage invoice tracking.
Would you like to find out more about our tools? Contact us for a demo!
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