When you say electric car, you say charging point. Which makes sense! Over 5,700 recharging points have been installed in the streets of Brussels in 2 years. There will be up to 22,000 by 2035! However, public charging on the streets will not be enough to meet all needs. The private sector also has a role to play in this transition.
Like many companies in Brussels, you probably have a parking area for your employees or visitors. If it has more than 10 spaces, you will probably have to install a minimum number of charging points for electric vehicles by 1 January 2025. So there's no time to lose, but don't panic: you can contact the Brussels Environment charging point facilitator to help you or answer any questions you may have, free of charge.
Here's everything you need to know:
The rules, laid down by the Order of 29/09/2022, depend on the number of spaces and the use to which your parking space is put (office, residential or other):
For office parking lots:
- From 1 January 2025: at least 10% of spaces with a minimum of 2 charging points.
- From 1 January 2030: at least 20% of spaces.
- From 1 January 2035: at least 30% of spaces.
For residential parking lots:
From 1 January 2025: 1 charging point per parking space for residents with access to the parking lot and an electric vehicle.
For other parking lots (public or commercial):
- From 1 January 2025: minimum 5% of spaces.
- From 1 January 2030: minimum 10% of spaces.
- From 1 January 2035: minimum 30% of spaces.
These rules apply to existing parking lots. New parking lots must immediately apply the quotas scheduled for 2035.
More stringent safety instructions
To prevent the risk of fire and ensure the safety of users, the positioning of charging points must meet the following requirements (see the Order of 29/09/2022):
- The charging point must be installed on a non-combustible or fireproof surface;
- Vehicles must be recharged using dedicated charging points;
- Electrical installations must be designed to support vehicle charging, and must have been inspected by an approved body;
- To avoid any potential damage by a vehicle, the charging points must be protected or placed at a certain height, while remaining accessible to people with reduced mobility.
There are also additional rules for covered parking lots (emergency stop button, ventilation, ban on installing fast-charging stations, etc.), as well as for covered parking lots over 1250m2 or with a level below -1 (smoke detector). All the rules are set out in the Order of 29/09/2022.
Any questions? The facilitator is here to help!
To help you make the transition to the obligations scheduled for 2025, the Region is making a ‘Charging point facilitator’ service available to you free of charge. They can help you bring your parking lot into compliance and answer all your questions: what type of charging point should you install? How many charging points? What power? What impact will this have on your electrical installation? What subsidies are available? What is the return on investment for installing ‘semi-public’ charging points? How do you allow access by third parties? How can you guarantee their availability to your employees during office hours?
Contact them at this email address: Facilitateur.bornes@environnement.brussels
You can also consult the installation guide, which describes the preparation and installation process step by step and answers the most common questions and difficulties.
For more information, visit www.electrify.brussels