Workplace Charging Makes Going Green Simple

According to Energy.gov, access to electric vehicle charging stations at workplaces doubled between 2012 and 2014, and 90% of employers reported their stations were in regular use 5 days a week. Five years later, industry experts and environmentalists alike have discovered that the key to putting more electric vehicles (EVs) on the road is to make sure there are enough electric vehicle service equipment (EVSEs) for potential customers to feel confident they will be able to charge their EV regularly.

How Businesses Can Make the Future Greener

Corporations and employers are providing electric vehicle charging stations at the workplace as benefits and amenities to attract and retain top talent who are environmentally conscious and comfortable with cutting-edge technology. They also send a clear message to staff and customers alike that they are working for a greener future.

Many of Blink’s host locations include corporate headquarters and help consumer-facing companies such as Starbucks and IKEA showcase to their staff and their customers the companies commitment to environment sustainability.

According to GreenTechMedia, it may come as a surprise to many employers that EV chargers barely make a dent in an overall electric bill, a general increase of less than 4%. Employers, however, have questions they need to consider before investing in EV stations for their employees.

Level 1 or Level 2?

The first decision to make is if the company wants to install Level 1 chargers, Level 2 chargers, or a mix of both. Level 1 chargers are less expensive 120-volt chargers but can generally an entire day (or more) to charge an EV. Level 2 chargers can charge more than one car, and charge the vehicle faster making them ideal for workplaces with large workforces. Mac Greine Energy Corps writes that “A Mercedes B Class 250e, for example, can take 20 hours to fully charge (87 miles of range) with a standard 120-volt charging station. A 240-volt Level 2 charger can fully charge a 250e in three hours.”

4%

Average Monthly Increase to Home Electric Bill When Charging an EV

Fees

Another decision employers must consider is whether to include EV charging as part of their benefits package and provide charging for free, or to charge a fee to offset the cost of the EVSE. Charging for kilowatt-hour or hours parked in the EV-designated location. Although charging by the hour can be beneficial by the hour to help ensure employees to move their cars once charged thereby allowing another EV Driver to use the charger, and safeguard from internal combustion engines (ICE) vehicles from blocking the charger most Blink workplace charging stations are offered to employees as an amenity or through the Blink membership reduced rates.

To Network or Not to Network?

The next question is whether companies want to manage their own EVSE or if they would prefer a turnkey solution such as Blink. Although some companies choose to own and manage their charging stations they often incur additional expenses in operating these amenities, frequently often creating entire departments exclusively for the operation of them with responsibilities including creating reservation systems, time limits, liability waivers for the use of equipment, and even hiring employees to operate the chargers and possibly move cars.

Turnkey solutions provide an opportunity for companies of all size to offer this charging amenity to their employees with minimum upfront cost or no prior charging station knowledge and operational know-how. Working alongside the site host, EVSE providers, such as Blink, will identify the appropriate location, assess the need of charging stations and even coordinate installation.

For public parking areas, an additional advantage to hiring a turnkey EVSE provider is that your charging station will appear on Google Maps bringing additional exposure and potentially revenue to your parking location.

Many companies are choosing to provide EVSE at the workplace to make going green easier, to help attract top talent, and to inform customers about their favorable environmental policies. Interested companies, however, have a few choices to make first. We recommend working with a Blink Account Representative to help answer those questions.