Why Hotels Should Offer Their Guests EV Charging
Few industries are as perfectly poised to mix positive impact and personal benefit by installing EV chargers as hotels. The nature of their business gives them unique qualities and amplified traits that make them a low-risk, high-reward option. Add to that the fact that hotels with charging stations will inevitably become the norm, rather than the exception, and you’ve got a recipe for an easy decision.
However, for hotel owners that might be anxious about the proposition of adding EV chargers to their property, we’ve compiled a list of very good reasons to consider making the jump. We bet you’ll know which side of the fence you’re on in the next five minutes of reading.
Erasing Anxiety and Increasing EV Adoption
Travel is hugely popular. Just prior to the pandemic, 2.3 billion people took domestic trips per year. While we don’t yet have accurate post-pandemic data, we’re on our way back to those numbers and there are indications that the proportion of car-based trips is increasing. All travelers need a place to stay, and those with EVs also need a place to charge.
Yet, the United States has a problem with that, particularly in the middle states. Charging stations are all too rare. The result? People become afraid to take road trips in an EV and are far more reluctant to buy one. Cars are all about freedom, after all, and getting stranded doesn’t feel very freeing. This range anxiety continues to be a top concern.
But, If hotels start adding EV chargers, the game changes. Hotels aren’t businesses you find “close to home.” They’re out on the roads and destination spots. In other words, they’re key nexus points for EV drivers to charge up. The prevalence of hotels and ease of locating them means that people will know that, if they need to charge, a hotel’s a likely bet. Road-trippers, meanwhile, know they won’t get stranded.
As a result, hotels have an immense amount of leverage over EV adoption. By adding chargers to their property, they can help erase range anxiety entirely, increasing EV adoption. And this has some interesting knock-on effects.
Attracting and Creating Future Customers
While drivers may go to a restaurant without an EV charger, the presence or absence of chargers at a hotel may be the determining factor for a potential customer. After all, if they can let their vehicles charge while they sleep, they’re good to go by the morning. If they can’t, they might be stranded or have to burn a few hours the next day charging up.
But as we mentioned before, if hotels add EV chargers, it helps increase EV adoption—this could also lead to increased customer traffic. Not only that: EV drivers save a lot of money on gas. This money may wind up increasing the number of trips they take, or the amount they’re willing to spend… say, on your nice hotel.
People are there for Long-Term
Hotels have a great opportunity to reduce costs by opting for level 2 chargers over fast chargers (DCFC). Many guests will be parking at your location overnight or for other long stretches of time. That’s more than long enough for a level 2 charger to fill up a vehicle. As such, you’re already a prime candidate for vehicle charging. This can be further optimized with EV Connect’s charging management software.
Meeting Sustainability Goals
Across the country, sustainability goals are being added to a huge number of businesses to help protect the planet. These vary according to state, but they’re likely to get more strict and more severe as the climate crisis worsens.
Many of your customers are becoming more environmentally informed and conscious, and competitors are taking note. Sustainability goals aren’t just great for the planet: They are also great for business! By setting sustainability goals and introducing green initiatives, you can be transparent about your effort to make a difference, something that consumers care about.
For hotels, adding EV infrastructure can serve to help you meet sustainability goals by arguing that you’re helping to reduce emissions. Between attracting increasingly climate-minded guests and competitors and other businesses setting sustainability goals and introducing green initiatives, your hotel should soon consider updating with EV charging.
Public EV Charging Brings in Revenue
Sure, hotels can generate revenue by charging a fee for use of the charging stations, or by offering it as an added value service for guests who book a room. But offering public EV charging can also be a way for hotels to drive revenue. The hospitality industry always relies in some part on location, and by opening your charging infrastructure to the public, you can benefit from paying customers utilizing your location benefit. This added stream of revenue is a great way to sustain the slow season as well as further expose your hotel to interested customers.
Conclusion
Hotels are uniquely strong candidates for EV charging station adoption. Their centrality to the travel industry means they can help usher along EV adoption, which, itself, will help their business. Meanwhile, doing so will also bring in customers, and shore them up against the future. Really, it’s a no-brainer.
EV Connect is here to make both the management and use of charging infrastructure easy and help hotels and property owners meet the growing demand for EV charging.
Speak to one of our experts today about your business goals and EV charging needs!
Sources
U.S. Travel Association - U.S. Travel and Tourism Overview
The New York Times - Even With High Gas Prices, the Open Road Still Beckons
Environmental and Energy Study Institute - Beyond Cities: Breaking Through Barriers to Rural Electric Vehicle Adoption
Car and Driver - Survey: EV Price, Range Anxiety, Infrastructure Keep Car Shoppers Away