According to Veloz’s EV Market Report, there were over 3.6 million electric vehicles in the United States in April 2023. And with a federal US goal of 50% EV sales by 2030, there is no doubt that electric vehicles are the future of transportation. Electric vehicles represent a shift from a weekly gas station visit to a daily “top off” at a workplace, residential, or public charger. But why should healthcare facilities care about EV charging? The benefits of having electric vehicle charging stations at your medical office building or healthcare facility might surprise you.
EV Charging Stations Help Your Staff Go Green
The first benefit of EV charging at your medical office: you can help your staff go green. Investing in EV charging stations at your property means that your employees can now confidently switch to a zero-emissions electric vehicle without fear of running out of electricity. EV charging stations at your workplace allow your doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical staff to charge up at work. Your staff can save on maintenance costs and reduce their personal carbon footprint!
EV Charging Stations Help You Attract and Retain New Patients
Standing out from other medical facilities or healthcare systems can be difficult. That’s why the most successful offices focus on adding the right amenities to attract patients. Not only do charging stations support your staff, but they also support patients who need to park during an appointment. Patients who drive electric cars want to know that they can charge their car when visiting your office. One 2018 Pew Research Center survey found that “rural Americans live an average of 10.5 miles from the nearest hospital, compared with 5.6 miles for people in suburban areas and 4.4 for those in urban areas.” And in a Southwest Rural Health Research Center study, 45% of urban respondents and 55.6% of rural respondents reported gasoline prices as a barrier to travel. With rural hospital closures during the pandemic, many patients are now traveling further to receive medical care. Especially if your medical center serves patients from out-of-town or rural areas, installing EV charging stations helps you stand out from other facilities and shows your new patients that you are prepared for the future. Your new patients can meet with their doctor or healthcare practitioner without worrying about finding a public charging station on the way home. EV charging stations can also help you increase patient retention. Your patients are already considering an electric vehicle, but they might not know where they can charge. Installing charging stations for your patients proves that you care about healthy lifestyles and healthy communities. Once your current patients see that they can charge during their appointments, they’ll have another reason to bring their electric car with them when visiting your office.
EV Fleet Charging Helps You Optimize Operational Costs
Electric vehicles are not just beneficial for staff and patients. If your medical facility has any kind of ambulatory or medical transportation fleet, vehicle maintenance and fuel costs all add up. Electric fleets represent an opportunity to reduce your total cost of maintenance by 75% and better predict your fuel costs. With off-peak scheduled charging and relatively low electricity costs, you can save thousands by switching to electric ambulances for your fleet.
EV Charging Stations as a Marketing Tool
Finally, marketing is more than just spending money on advertisements; it’s also about what people say about you. Networked EV charging stations put your medical practice on public EV charging maps and locator apps such as the Blink Charging mobile app, PlugShare, and Google Maps, ensuring that prospective patients can hear about your amenities and get directions to your location. With your EV charging stations front and center in your parking lot, your sustainable initiatives will be the first and last service that your patients see every time they visit your medical office. It’s an easy way to get new business! With networked EV charging stations, your medical office building can offer another healthy amenity for employees and patients. Are you a Vizient member? Did you know you can now access special pricing for EV charging at your facility? Get started today by filling out the form to the right to request pricing.