Electric car charging points

The future is electric. We are rapidly evolving toward a world where the electric car is in charge. As a result, more and more restaurant diners, hotel guests, and shoppers will expect to be able to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) on your parking lot or in your garage during their visit. Making electric car charging points available to your customers is the obvious next step in hospitality. Without question, the time to invest in EV charging points is now.

The rapid growth in EV driving demands for parking space managers to have an answer to this increasing demand for EV charging facilities. Unfortunately, EV charging is not (yet) a priority to commercial property owners. However, the challenge is that installing extra capacity is not a project you complete overnight. You need to plan ahead. By investing in electric car charging points now, you can lead the way. It’s not only your employees who will benefit from this; your customers will, too, and by extension your overall brand.

“The roll-out of charging infrastructure that meets the needs of the eclectic vehicle fleet is a big challenge.” 

Change is happening with or without you

The electrification of the vehicle fleet is gaining speed. All over Europe, governments are taking steps to accelerate the transition to electric cars. There are plans to allow only zero-emission cars to be manufactured by 2035, so electrification is already well underway, particularly at businesses running company cars. All company cars will be electric relatively soon. Then it will be the consumer’s turn.

But it’s not just car manufacturers – who must develop hybrid and electric models in the short term – that are facing the challenge of electrification. At least as important is another challenge: the roll-out of charging infrastructure that meets the needs of the growing electric vehicle fleet.

Opportunity for businesses 

I am convinced that the installation of electric car charging points in public places won’t be enough to cope with the electrification of the fleet. However, a large percentage of electric car users will not be able to install electric car charging points at home. Particularly in cities, most people don’t have a garage or parking space in front of the building where they can easily install their own electric car charging points.

“Just as we prefer a coffee house with free Wi-Fi, customers will soon prefer to be able to charge their cars.”

Electric vehicle drivers are increasingly looking to charge their vehicles at destinations like supermarkets, retail parks, shopping malls, hotels, offices, and other workplaces. A recent CTEK survey revealed that 66% of EV drivers prefer to charge at home. 29% are now also using public or destination chargers: 21% charging at work and 14% at petrol stations.

This is precisely where an opportunity presents itself to the business world. For employees who drive to the office in their electric company car, it’s logical that they should be able to charge their car in the parking garage or company parking lot while they’re in the office. Additionally, the way I see it, more and more restaurant diners, hotel guests, and shoppers will expect to be able to charge their EVs during their visit.

Early advantage over your competitors

Companies that invest in charging infrastructure immediately create an important differentiator for themselves. Just as we prefer a coffee house or restaurant with free Wi-Fi today, customers will soon prefer to visit a store where they can connect their car to a charging point. In fact, making a charging point available to your customers is the obvious next step in hospitality.

The availability of electric car charging points acts as a competitive advantage, something that really puts your company on the map. It’s an extra incentive to attract employees and customers, while also clearly highlighting your brand values and CSR commitments. And if you really want to stand out: make sure that the charging points use 100% renewable energy.

“Don’t think of EV charging as a short-term investment, rather think in terms of an expandable network to easily continue to meet demand in the future.”

It’s always better to be out front 

Personally, I think that’s why it’s smart to provide the necessary infrastructure now. Electric car charging points are no longer nice to have, they’re without a doubt a must-have. By giving your visitors and/or employees the ability to charge their EVs, you are ahead of the curve and ready for the future. Don’t think of your charging infrastructure as a short-term investment, focused on the number of employees you currently have; rather think of it as part of a long-term plan to install an expandable network so that you can easily continue to meet demand in the future.

To top it all off, investing in charging points is also an attractive option right now because governments all over Europe are offering generous subsidies. I’ll gladly tell you more about this an discover your options. Send me a DM on LinkedIn or email me at simon.crangle@ctek.com.