What is an overstay fee?

Drivers using public chargers must share these spaces with other electric vehicle (EV) users. However, a growing number of complaints remain regarding chargers being occupied well past the needed charge time, lasting several hours and often several days. This comes to the detriment of other EV drivers displaced or forced to charge in less opportune moments.

This overstay fee ensures all EV drivers have fair and timely access to charging stations, whether AC or HPC. With the rapid growth of the EV market and increasing demand for charging infrastructure, chargers must be used efficiently. By implementing this overstay fee, Allego aims to enhance the fair availability of charging capacity and promote efficient use of charging infrastructure.

Idle Fee for Allego High Power Chargers (HPC) in Europe

At Allego, we aim to provide a smooth and reliable charging experience for all drivers. To help reduce waiting times and ensure fair access to our High-Power Chargers (HPC), an idle fee will apply across our European network.

Details of the Idle (Overstay) Fee

• No idle fee is charged while your vehicle is actively charging
• After 45 minutes from the start of the session, if charging has ended, the idle fee will begin
• The idle fee is €0.25 per minute (including VAT). Please refer to the table below for country-specific rates

This means you’ll never be penalised for charging your vehicle. The first 45 minutes give you ample time to run a quick errand or enjoy a short break.

The idle fee applies to all Allego-owned HPC chargers across Europe, including new markets such as Spain, Switzerland, and Lithuania.

If you have any questions or need further clarification, please contact our Customer Support team — we’re here to help.

Thank you for charging with Allego.

Overstay fee for AC chargers in the Netherlands

Allego charges an overstay fee for AC chargers on its public charging network in the Netherlands. Public chargers are being used more frequently, partly due to the increase in new EV vehicles.  We notice that our current charging points are increasingly being unnecessarily occupied. Our goal is to keep the charging stations available for as many EV drivers as possible.

Our data shows that approximately 40% of the time a car is connected to our charging stations, it is actually being used to charge. Therefore, we are introducing the overstay fee to limit unnecessary occupation of the chargers and to keep them available for others who need to charge.

On average, vehicles actively charge for 3.5 hours. However, they remain connected to the charging station for an additional 5.5 hours without charging. This means that 60% of the time, a car is not actively charging.

We understand that this may not apply to everyone or to all locations, as some charging sessions may take longer. However, 80% of charging sessions are completed well within 5 hours. That’s why we have decided to apply the overstay fee only after 5 hours, based on the average charging time plus the time needed to move the vehicle. This means you will be charged extra for the time your car is connected to the charging station, whether or not it is still charging.

Given the number of charging stations and users, we aim to keep our network available to as many customers as possible. That is why we have implemented this measure, encouraging drivers to move their vehicles once charging is complete. Of course, we will take all feedback and questions into account in our future decisions regarding the application of such fees.

Details of the overstay fee:

• The fee for staying too long starts 5 hours after the session begins and can be applied for up to 16 hours.
• The overstay fee is only applied between 07:00 and 23:00.
• The rate for exceeding the allowed duration is € 0.05 per minute (€ 3.00 per hour).
• The overstay fee does not apply to Allego stations from certain public tenders in the Netherlands, such as in Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, and Gelderland.

For more information, check this link: Find us – Allego or the Smoov app to see if this policy applies to a specific charging station. Contact our customer service if you have any questions or need more information.

Note: The rate you pay for charging your electric vehicle (EV) through a Mobility Service Provider (MSP) may differ from Allego’s standard rates. This is because MSPs can set their own pricing structures. For the most up-to-date rates and any additional costs, please contact your MSP directly.