Getting from Point A to Point B: EVs and the Hospitality Industry

Transportation will be getting more and more attention as we all begin to return to society and to work as Covid vaccinations rise. Beyond local trips, those who drive cross-country for work and a tired population ready to go vacation will all factor into changes in the transportation and hospitality industries.

Public Transportation Use is Falling

More and more Americans who used to take advantage of public transportation are choosing not to as a way to avoid exposure to crowds. Much of public transportation’s former users are looking for a private transportation method that doesn’t involve being so close to other people.

The safety of airplane flight and Covid exposure is still unknown, with more Americans starting to fly, but many more still apprehensive. The result is that more and more Americans will be purchasing or renting their cars rather than using buses, subways, trains, or planes to get where they’re going.

Concern for public health and environmental safety has driven an increase in EV sales. The last year has seen a boom in EV sales, while sales of gas-fueled cars dropped, in some cases, dramatically. In the U.S., 27 out of 30 car manufacturers lost money in 2020, but EV sales continue to surge.

According to HotelManagement.net, “Bloomberg New Energy Finance report suggests sales of electric vehicles will increase from a record 1.1 million worldwide in 2017 to 11 million in 2025 and then to 30 million in 2030 as the price of manufacturing the vehicles falls.”

That’s a whole lot of EVs on the road, and all those EVs will need charging. All those drivers will need to stop somewhere, and while gas stations line the streets of America, charging stations do not. State infrastructure is changing that, but recently, corporations have led the way on cutting-edge technology and social change. Who better to provide what drivers need on the road than the hospitality industry?

Why Should Hotels Install Chargers?

More and more of your customers are driving to you and are driving in EVs. The range of electric cars keeps growing, and EVs can easily be driven across the country. Charging stations are a hotel amenity that more and more customers are finding necessary.

The hospitality industry is in the business of providing what customers need. Just like they offer a place to get some rest, a place to eat, or just a place to stop for travelers, it’s a natural extension for hotels to be a place to “fuel up.”

Providing EV chargers gives drivers the peace of mind to know there will always be a charger available at YOUR hotel, thus creating repeat customers. Making charging available to the public, not only overnight guests, is a great way to create a second income stream. Those who stop to charge their cars are also more likely to stay the night at the place they stop, as well as eat and shop.

Providing EVSE makes a great impression on guests, is a significant step in sustainability initiatives, and can help your hotel get great reviews on sites like Trip Advisor. According to EV Connect, “By offering public EV charging stations, your hotel and the businesses around it will become a more appealing destination to EV drivers”

Business Synchronicity

EV chargers often serve the interests of not only the business which installs them but surrounding businesses. Installing a nearby hotel charger can increase business at the restaurant a block away and the movie theater next door. Charging stations are an excellent way for local businesses to help each other by encouraging customers to visit more often and stay longer.

Destination Charging

Some hotels got the message years ago that EV chargers were a way to attract higher-income clientele. According to, Hotel-Online.com, “Forward-looking hotel leaders are realizing there is a real opportunity in catering to EV drivers,” says Geraldine Guichardo, Research Manager with JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group. “A few years ago, that wasn’t the case. But the EV market is growing quickly enough that, for some companies, it simply makes business sense to plan to accommodate guests who drive them.”

Marriot has featured charging stations for over a decade. According to Denise Naguib, VP of sustainability & supplier diversity at Marriott, the company has “1,700 charging stations at more than 600 hotels, ranging from one unit to as many as 15, depending on guest demand.”  She goes on to state the decision to install the stations begins at the hotel level rather than with corporate; Naguib said, “Some markets have a lot of customers that have EVs and are looking for [chargers].”

Hilton launched a dual partnership with Tesla and General Electric to provide an array of different charging equipment. When Destination Hotels were approached by Tesla to create a partnership, Lamie Sabatier, CEO of Two Roads Hospitality, the parent company of Destination Hotels, thought it was a no-brainer. They were able to attract more tech-savvy and higher-income clientele.

Your EV Chargers are an Investment in the Future

 While some hotels choose to offer EV charging as a free amenity to guests, others want to utilize chargers as a secondary source of income. Blink offers several business models perfect for hotels. We install chargers and add your hotel to our exclusive Blink Network, which allows your business to set hours of operation, control who can and cannot use the station, charge each client, and even remotely operate the station.

As public transportation use continues to fall, more and more guests will arrive at hotels driving EVs, needing a place to charge. Meeting this increasing demand is an opportunity for the hospitality industry to further recover decreased revenues during the uncertainty of 2020 and offer EV drivers the infrastructure and convenience they require.