Owners of commercial real estate have often been early adopters — including when it comes to installing EV charging stations. In multi-tenant office buildings, tenants were, until recently, free to install their own chargers, complete with individual software and contracts. The result? One parking lot, five different suppliers, and zero oversight. A chaotic patchwork without any central control.
Problems usually surface only when the lights go out or when the grid operator sends a warning that contracted capacity has been exceeded. How did this fragmentation arise — and more importantly, how can we fix it? We sat down with Niels Stalenberg, EV charging expert and Sales Director at Pluq.
Niels, what is your perspective on the current state of EV infrastructure in commercial real estate?
“By now, a large share of commercial properties has charging points in place. On paper, that’s a great step towards sustainability, but in practice, we see a lot of fragmentation. Many chargers were installed by tenants, each using different suppliers, without coordination or energy management. That means nobody really has control.”
What are the biggest risks of such a fragmented approach?
“The lack of oversight and central management is the biggest risk. Asset, property, and facility managers often told tenants: Go ahead and sort it out yourselves. As a result, chargers were connected without checking available power capacity or the impact on the building’s technical systems. The outcome: overloads, malfunctions, and even warnings from grid operators.
Tenants often opt for the cheapest solution, which seems attractive, but this means that not every charger comes with load balancing, and sometimes even proper safety measures are lacking. We often encounter installations that fail to meet safety requirements or have stopped working altogether due to a lack of maintenance and management.
There’s also a financial risk: who owns which contract, who invoices whom, and what happens when a tenant moves out? Who’s responsible for the infrastructure then? Without central control, you lose grip fast.”
Is safety still an underexposed topic?
“Absolutely. EV infrastructure involves high power flows and fluctuating current levels. Poor cabling, wrong switches, or inadequate residual current protection pose real dangers. That’s why we always start by inspecting the metering cabinet and cabling, replacing components where necessary. For us, safety is the foundation. We won’t install anything without ensuring it.”
Who pays for all of this?
“That’s precisely where our Charging as a Service model makes a difference. A professional charger, including installation, can easily cost €6,000, and in Belgium, it can even cost €8,000 or more. We cover the entire investment. The property owner invests zero capital in hardware and spends zero time on maintenance or management. That saves significant money, as operational costs typically reach 150% to 200% of the initial investment over ten years.
We recover our investment via a small margin on the kWh price. It’s a long-term model, but property owners share in the revenue from day one. Once the investment is recouped and usage is high, owners can earn up to 50%, sometimes even 60%, of the profits.”
How do you ensure the number of chargers matches demand?
“We analyse user profiles before installation and build scalability into the setup. Where chargers are already present, we buy and integrate them if they’re suitable. Outdated hardware gets replaced. The operational risk remains with us, so we strive to strike an optimal balance between EV and non-EV parking spaces. The property owner or manager invests nothing and has nothing to worry about.”
How do you regain control?
“Control starts with an intelligent platform that integrates all chargers (existing and new) into one environment. We connect all charging points to dynamic energy management, featuring real-time load balancing, tariff-based charging sessions, priority access for specific users, and integration with solar panels or battery systems. This creates a uniform, future-proof ecosystem that maximises available capacity on site.
Because we manage and maintain everything, owners get peace of mind: no downtime alerts, no conflicting contracts, no billing disputes. We monitor remotely, send proactive maintenance teams, and provide monthly reports on availability and revenue. Asset, property, and facility managers can focus on their core business. Ours is to deliver and manage high-quality charging infrastructure.”
What mistakes do you see in existing installations, and how do you resolve them?
“We often come across chargers installed without load balancing or proper residual current protection. In many cases, there’s no back office for billing either. We always start with a comprehensive audit, which involves inspecting the metering cabinet, testing cables, verifying connection values with the grid operator, and mapping all user profiles. Only when the basics are right, and permits are in place, do we install or upgrade.”
What’s your main advice for property owners and managers?
“Treat EV charging as a strategic investment, not as a gadget. Choose one partner, one platform, and one contract. That way, you minimise risks, optimise management, and maximise returns. Central control gives you full grip on safety, compliance, costs, and value creation.”
Want zero investment, zero management hassle, and a smart-charging infrastructure?