EV charging for hospitality & leisure: why you shouldn't miss out

Posted 05/31/2024

You may have noticed it in your parking lot: drivers all around the world are embracing electric vehicles (EVs). As more and more people make the switch, they’ll start to expect charging opportunities wherever they go. So how about you make your location even more inviting? Provide EV charging and fulfil a growing need of your guests, customers and members.

Whether you own a hotel, restaurant, sports center or movie theater: installing an EV charging station can turn your business into a go-to destination for EV drivers. It even presents you with a new revenue stream. Here’s why you shouldn’t miss out on this rather new, yet already sought-after amenity.

Why you should consider EV charging for your business

It’s a welcome addition to your service

Providing your clientele with the best possible experience is the foundation of your business. Extend your top-notch service to the parking lot and set the bar even higher.

EV charging for hospitality

For instance, EV charging at your hotel, B&B or vacation rental gives electric road trippers peace of mind. When arranging their accommodation, they’ll screen for charging opportunities to calm their range anxiety. And what’s more convenient than fully recharging when you’re spending the night anyway?

EV charging for leisure

Is recreation, sports or entertainment your main focus? Add a charging station and become an even more attractive destination for EV-driving customers and members. While 80% of charging usually happens at home or at work, 20% is still accounted for by public charging. Help your visitors top off or even fully recharge, depending on the time they usually spend with you.

It separates you from the competition

In the Netherlands alone, almost one out of three new cars in 2023 were fully electric, according to ElaadNL. Safe to say that drivers are moving away from the pump and towards the charger. In the future, EV charging will become more of a necessity than a perk. Compare it to free Wi-Fi, if you will.

In sync with your clientele

Lead the way and offer reliable chargers and a great service on every level. EV charging makes your location more attractive to visitors: it shows them that you're in tune with their needs and are always looking for ways to elevate their experience.

Discover our reliable charging solutions

It underscores your sustainable efforts

Whether you’re in the hospitality or leisure business: your customers are paying closer attention to your care for the environment. A report from IBM in 2021 found that 84% of global consumers consider sustainability important when choosing a brand. Moreover, 62% of consumers are willing to change their purchasing behavior if it helps reduce a negative impact on the planet.

Installing EV chargers is an obvious visual cue that you’re leading the way. This can also have a positive effect on your ESG-goals and any certificates you wish to retain or attain (Green Key, ISO 50001:2018). You’ll also be way ahead when it comes to the European Green Deal, which ensures no net emissions of greenhouse gasses by 2050.

It’s a possible new revenue stream

You can offer EV charging as a complimentary amenity for customers, guests and members, or you can monetize this service. This could turn your parking lot into a valuable source of additional income. With smart technology, which Blink offers, you can even differentiate in pricing and billing.

Do you want to up the price for public charging or start a loyalty program for returning customers? We’ll be happy to make that work for you.

AC or DC charging: what should your location offer?

Not sure which type of charging your visitors are looking for? Let’s dive into the options. In the Netherlands, we talk about two types of charging: AC and DC.

What is AC charging?

Stands for ‘alternating current’
Provides slow charging, with a charging load
between 5 & 22 kW
Generally cheaper to install and to use
Interesting for locations with a longer dwell time

What is DC charging?

Stands for ‘direct current’
Provides fast charging, with a charging load
between 50 kW, 200 kW and even 400 kW
Generally more expensive to install and to use
Interesting for central locations that provide shorter stops

EV Charging for hospitality locations

If you provide overnight stays, it makes sense to install AC chargers. For your guests, it won’t matter if their car is fully loaded in 20 minutes or eight hours: they’re spending the night anyway. Installing AC chargers is also cheaper. You’ll be able to place more AC chargers with the budget of one DC charger. Moreover, it requires less electrical modifications, since DC charging demands quite the power capacity.

EV Charging for leisure locations

Are you running a venue that generally keeps customers occupied for more than two hours? Then AC chargers should do the trick. If you do offer services that take 30 minutes or less, adding a DC charger in the mix might be interesting. Same goes for when you have a prime location in the neighborhood: providing DC charging might lure EV drivers to your charging station and additionally, to your business.

Why you should power up your parking lot with Blink

Ready to take the leap? Choose Blink as your trustworthy EV charging guide and electrify your parking lot in no-time. We offer flexible business models and most importantly: we take everything out of your hands.

A flexible model for every business

We offer four business models that we can further tailor to your needs.

Want to provide EV charging, but don’t have the financial leverage? Check out the Blink Owned model. Depending on your location, we can make the investment for you. Want to split the cost and share the profit? Look into the Hybrid Owned model. If you want to own and exploit your own charging station, the Host Owned model is what you’re looking for. And last but not least, with Charging-as-a-Service you can lease your infrastructure through a financial party.

Read up on all four solutions here

A solution for every size

Want to outfit all of your vacation rental destinations with EV charging? Or just looking to add a few chargers to the parking lot of your restaurant or fitness center? Whether you need two or 200 charging stations, we’ve got you covered.

All the benefits without the hassle

Whatever business model you prefer, we always offer a turnkey solution. Put simply, we handle everything: from designing your EV charging solution to technical inspections all the way to installation, implementation, hosting and maintenance. All you have to do is point your customers to the nearest charger. An extra amenity for your guests without the extra workload: what’s not to like?

Personal customer service

Running into questions or issues? Your dedicated Blink project manager is there to help. Same goes for the users of your EV charging station. They can count on 24/7 driver support.

Simplified billing

Blink handles the billing of every EV driver that uses your charging station. This is an automated process that involves zero effort from you. Depending on your chosen business model, your own invoices (or settlements) can also happen automatically.

Cutting-edge technology

We develop our software in-house. This enables smart energy management. With dynamic load balancing, we continually maximize the available energy, whether or not it’s self-produced. This means we regulate the need for output rather than the output itself. In the future, our chargers will allow for even more advanced energy solutions such as battery storage.

Get in touch

Want to look into the best EV charging solution for your hospitality or leisure business? Contact a Blink professional or get a quote.